Teddy
by silentgundam
Summary: Midway through his training to become an Auror after the war, Harry's life is changed forever when he and Malfoy become all that Teddy has left.
1. Chapter 1

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Potter."

"Harry."

"Harry. Please, have a seat."

"What's this about? I...I haven't heard of this department before."

The wizard on the other side of the large wooden desk nodded, understanding. "My name is Jameson Cook. I am a Care-Seeker here at the Department of Magical Familial Services. I realize that this is incredibly abrupt, but these matters usually are, unfortunately-"

"What matters?"

Mr. Cook sighed. "Harry, in this department, we handle situations among magical families that require an...outside party."

"Alright..."

"As there is no gentle way to present this, I'll just begin." Mr. Cook took a soft breath. "Earlier today, at 1:37 this afternoon, there was an explosion at the Malfoy Manor."

Harry blinked, and the corners of his mouth dropped into a frown.

"The Ministry dispatched the appropriate response teams immediately, though upon arrival it was clear that the inhabitants, a Ms. Narcissa Malfoy and Ms. Andromeda Tonks, did not survive the blast."

The silence rang in Harry's ears. "But-"

"I understand that you knew of the arrangement between the Malfoy and Tonks families?"

"Yeah, I-" Harry swallowed, mouth dry. "Yeah, Andromeda and Teddy moved in with the Malfoys after Lucius died. But did-"

"Teddy was not in the Manor at the time of the explosion, no."

Icy relief poured from Harry's chest, snaking its way through his veins as he heaved a deep sigh.

"He was thankfully out with his cousin, Mr. Draco Malfoy."

Without thinking, Harry's jaw locked. Much as he had always loathed the idea of Malfoy being anywhere near Teddy since Andromeda moved them to the Manor over a year ago, Harry begrudgingly had to at least be objectively grateful.

"Once the Manor and...its inhabitants...were cared for, Mr. Malfoy and Teddy were located and brought into our department, where they have been waiting while my partner and I have sorted through the opening of this case."

"Case?"

Mr. Cook raised a surprised brow. "Teddy's case, Harry. What will become of him now that he has lost nearly all his family. Though Mr. Malfoy is the last of Teddy's blood relatives, you are Teddy's legally appointed godfather."

Harry's chest seemed to cave slightly in anticipation. Air was hard to take in, and he sat up straighter to appear less anxious.

Mr. Cook continued. "Now that you are of legal age, you are the next in line to take custody of Teddy instead of a family member such as Mr. Malfoy."

"Of course I'll take him," Harry said roughly, leaning forward in his seat. Just the mention of Malfoy ever being considered as Teddy's guardian boiled Harry's blood.

Mr. Cook nodded. "And you will, though my partner and I have our concerns."

"Concerns?"

"Yes, Harry. For one, your age-"

"You just said-"

Mr. Cook raised a hand to stop him. "Although of legal age, you are still only 19 years old. Quite young to be taking on a toddler. In addition, if I'm to believe the gossip, you are not married or in any kind of long-term relationship-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" It was a bit of a sore spot for Harry, his ongoing lack of a love life. Though things weren't strained by any means, he and Ginny hadn't rekindled as they had both hoped after the war, and Harry hadn't been terribly successful in dating since. But the wizard on the other side of the desk only responded to Harry's annoyance with a pitying shrug.

"Having help raise a child is important. Many single parents struggle not only with the parenting duties but with supporting a child on one income, childcare, stress, and more. It is not a requirement to have a spouse, obviously, but being on your own will add to what is already a stressful situation, which is why your marital status is of slight concern.

"Your line of work is also something that came up when going over the preliminaries of this case."

"I work for the Ministry. How is that a concern?"

"Technically, you are a part of the Ministry's Auror training program, not a full employee."

"I have regular hours and a salary-"

"The point I'm making, Harry," Mr. Cook sighed, "is that you are only halfway through the extensive and strenuous program. You are more often at the Ministry than at home right now, and when you are home you are likely exhausted. This is will only make caring for a child more difficult."

Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, the three-year Auror training program was far more difficult than he had truly anticipated. He spent a third of his day in physical training alone, not to mention the bookwork and reading required. It had been almost like returning to Hogwarts in a never-ending state of pre-exam frenzy. When he made it home a little after four o'clock each day, he did tend to collapse onto his couch and not move for hours.

But if it meant keeping Teddy, Harry could change that.

"I mean, yeah, I'm sure it'll be a lot to handle," Harry said. "But I can make it work."

"And I am sure you can," Mr. Cook replied with a kind smile. "But then there's your lack of experience with children."

At that, Harry openly balked. "What, as if every parent has all this experience with kids before having their own?"

"Now that is not what I meant. I am merely expressing to you the concerns my partner and I have."

"And I can prove all those concerns to be a waste of time," Harry snapped before he could think better of it.

Mr. Cook chuckled. "And I'd like to see that, Harry, I truly would. And you'll be able to prove yourself just fine, as my partner and I will be stopping by to check in on you and Teddy periodically until you are either deemed fit or not."

"Er...sorry?"

"It's a routine procedure with cases of adoption and similar scenarios. The child's case managers make regular, scheduled visits to the home to ask questions and make observations. After a period, the guardians are deemed either fit or unfit to care for that particular child."

"And if I''m deemed unfit...?"

"Then Teddy would be removed from your care and placed up for adoption, where the process would begin again."

Panic flared in Harry's chest. "No."

"Well, obviously, it would be in Teddy's best interests not to home-hop, but he also needs a home that can provide a stable living environment filled with love and patience as he goes through his tough time."

Trying to sound as calm and mature as he currently wasn't feeling, Harry said, "I can provide that."

"I'd like to see that, Harry," Mr. Cook said with a smile. He stood then, gesturing toward the door. "Now, I need to draw up the paperwork for you to sign, but in the meantime, you're welcome to see Teddy in the waiting room. I suspect he and Mr. Malfoy are finished speaking with my partner by now."

The Department of Magical Familial Services was a rather small department, although it was well kept and nicely decorated, unlike much of the rest of the Ministry. The waiting room that Harry stepped into was a calming blue and purple-grey with plush but firm chairs, several parenting magazines, and a tidy play area. Though Harry had seen another family seated when he had come through earlier, the waiting room was empty now. Empty except for-

"Ha-wee!"

Teddy's sweet voice punctured the quiet of the room, drawing Harry's eyes as two feet of energy slammed into his knees. Harry stumbled a bit, finally collapsing into a seated position on the floor to accept the crazed embrace of a nearly-two-year-old Teddy Lupin.

Teddy had changed so much from the squished mess that rolled around in the photos Lupin had showed Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He had grown into a thick-set little toddler with large blue eyes and sandy brown hair when he wasn't changing them. Harry pulled Teddy into his chest, breathing him in.

"Hey, Teddy."

Teddy didn't talk a whole lot, but he lifted his head and stared into Harry's eyes for a moment, seeming to ask a question that Harry couldn't decipher, before dropping his head back into Harry's chest. Harry just patted his back and stood up, scooping Teddy into him as he did so.

Several seats away sat Malfoy.

Not any less sickly looking and just as angry in the face, Malfoy glared at Harry. It was more than a glare, it was nearing on pure hatred. Not that Harry and Malfoy had moved past their rivalries and differences, but they had more or less adjusted to simply ignoring the fact that the other existed since Andromeda and Teddy had moved in with Malfoy and his mother. The glare Malfoy wore was surprising, even if it did bring out a childish sense of satisfaction deep in Harry's chest.

"I'd be careful, Malfoy. Your face might stick like that."

"It must be nice to have everything handed to you on a silver platter, Potter," Malfoy sneered.

"I wouldn't know, I didn't grow up relying on my father to do everything for me."

"You don't deserve Teddy and you know it."

"I'm his godfather."

"You hardly know him. You think a few hours here and there are enough for you to properly care for a living, breathing child day in and day out? It'll be a miracle he doesn't starve."

"Shut up, Malfoy."

Malfoy stood, striding across the room as he snarled, "Perfect, savior Potter being given the benefit of the doubt just because luck's always been on your side rather than brains. While you've been parading off to Auror training to further your fat ego, I've been with Teddy, helping care for him and actually being present. But does that matter to the Ministry? No. No, instead, they're passing over a perfectly good guardian, a _family member_, for Teddy in favor of making sure the Chosen One gets exactly what he wants just because he wants it, despite how obviously incapable you are."

"Oh, I didn't realize that having a career and a future that will actually provide for Teddy was a bad decision on the Ministry's part. Especially if the only other option was an ex-Death Eater that works at a potions shop."

"The fact that you've consistently chosen fame over family throughout the years should have been enough of a turn off for anyone to ever grant you guardianship over another living creature. Isn't that how you lost the Weasley girl? You put her off so you could gallivant off to save the world and it cost you probably the only witch foolish enough to love you."

Rage stormed in Harry's chest, burning his face as he ground his teeth together. Malfoy's comment hit just a little too close to the truth, the insecurities that punctured Harry's previously rock-solid belief that everything he had done had been necessary to defeat Voldemort. Harry clenched his teeth harder, seeking some sort of miracle in self control as he took a deep breath through his nose.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Mark my words, Potter, your tendency to put people aside for your own selfish goals will show up before long with Teddy, and I will be patiently waiting to catch him."

"You-"

"Harry?"

Harry snapped his head around at Mr. Cook's voice. He was peeking out of his office, waving a hand at him.

"I have the paperwork drawn up now. Let's get this signed and you can take Teddy home."

Hoping it wasn't apparent that he had been seconds away from drawing his wand, Harry turned his back on Malfoy and strode back into the office, Teddy still curled comfortably into his chest.

* * *

Draco should have been grieving.

In the days following his mother's death, Draco should have been in mourning; sobbing over the single photo he had left of his mother and father, not eating, growing a beard and alarmingly dark bags beneath his eyes from sleepless nights. He should have been clinging desperately to the fading memories he had of the few good times, fondly remembering the times his mother had taken charge in making sure Draco knew how deeply he was loved. He should have been sitting in the middle of his new flat, surrounded by two or three small boxes of the items that had been salvaged from the wrecked Malfoy Manor, pathetically combing over each mundane item as if it were an heirloom. He should have been unable to face replacing the material life he had always cherished, sleeping on the floor of an empty flat for the months it would take for him to properly pull himself out of the hell he had endured, from the hell that was now his kinless existence.

Except he wasn't kinless. There was Teddy.

Teddy, the strange little Metamorphmagus that had moved into his home and his heart no more than a year previous. It was Teddy that kept Draco from properly mourning. Not that it was his fault.

No, it wasn't Teddy's fault that Draco spent the hours following his mother's and aunt's deaths searching for and securing a respectable flat. It wasn't Teddy's fault that Draco forced down enough food each day to carry him through the shopping required to fill that new flat. It wasn't Teddy's fault that Draco spent every waking hour for two days straight assembling new furniture, unpacking hundreds of galleons' worth of things that made a flat a home. It wasn't Teddy's fault that Draco didn't have time to mourn. It wasn't Teddy's fault that Draco had an uphill battle against impossible odds to reclaim the only thing in his world that made life worth living.

It was Harry fucking Potter's.

Draco had caught on almost immediately to Potter's regular times that he came to see Teddy once Andromeda moved into the Manor with the toddler. Draco took great strides to make sure he worked those days to avoid the Boy Who Did Who Knows What Now, leaving the gap of interaction since their time at Hogwarts to proceed as planned. But after mere _seconds_ with the absolute waste of space, Potter had managed to make a horrific situation even worse for Draco.

Typical.

Not only did Draco have Teddy ripped away from him, but Teddy was placed in the custody of the world's most incompetent wizard. The laws were against Draco. He would have to play by the rules entirely. There would be no sabotaging the precious, exalted Harry Potter. There couldn't even be their usual nastiness if Draco was at all hopeful to ever lay eyes on Teddy again. The thought of catering to Potter's ego was immensely nauseating, but it was Draco's reality.

No, Draco didn't have time to mourn. He had to prove that he was the better choice.

With a frustrated sigh, he collapsed onto his large new sofa, easily twice the size of a typical loveseat, and breathed in its new-fabric smell. Nearly everything in Draco's new flat smelled new, with a hint of cardboard and plastic. Quite different from the refreshing scents of polished familiarity, hardly a scent at all. The odors of Malfoy Manor were his and his family's - no one really noticed their own distinct smell.

But no longer. Now, Draco was constantly breathing in a department store. That, too, was nauseating.

To think he had wanted this. Not the circumstances that forced it, but Draco had been wanting to move into his own flat, have his own space, find his own way. But when his father had been incarcerated, it seemed harsh to leave his mother alone in the Manor; and when his father had been killed in Azkaban, the hope of leaving was squashed out almost entirely. It wasn't long after, however, that Draco's mother and Andromeda rekindled what was left of their relationship in shared grief. Although Draco had felt it was a touch forced, Andromeda and Teddy moving into the Manor had revived some of his selfish hope to finally venture out on his own. His mother would have company without ever having to leave the Manor that she loved so much.

But then Draco fell in love with Teddy.

It had been slow - tripping over scattered toys throughout the Manor and irritably returning them to the boy, listening to wails from his bedroom after Teddy took his first spill down the staircase. And then Draco found himself watching Teddy from open doorways as he passed by rooms where the toddler stumbled about, giddily adventurous. So different from the child his mother had said Draco once was. Teddy took on the world as if there were no risks, a sense of safety always in those bright eyes that changed color with his mood. Andromeda never shouted at Teddy, something that baffled Draco at first. She could be sharp, most definitely firm, and strict with the boy, but typically Teddy was regarded with gentle love and playful guidance.

It was fascinating.

Only a few weeks into meeting Teddy, Draco wound up knocking into the toddler as he had hastily crawled into the corridor. Teddy hadn't cried, instead babbling and clawing at Draco's leg, reaching for him to be picked up. As Draco had watched, it hit him:

Teddy was actually happy to see him.

Draco hadn't had anyone, even his own mother, look at him without a trace of negative emotion since before he could remember. Be it fear, worry, disdain, or something else, others had always regarded Draco with at least a hint of reserve. No one looked at him as though he wasn't less than one thing or the other.

But Teddy did.

That had been the tipping point, what made Draco dive headfirst into the depths of childcare. But after a year of changing nappies, navigating finger foods and solids, reading children's stories, singing lullabies in the dark, and working on different milestones along the way, Draco felt true love for Teddy. Teddy was his own, something that he would do absolutely anything for to keep safe. There was nothing Draco wouldn't do for Teddy.

And yet, in a matter of minutes, all that was gone.

Draco ran a hand through his hair as he sat up. Sure, he hadn't achieved large goals without breaking the rules probably ever. Sure, his own reputation and past were against him. His opponent was the most prized wizard in the world. But if it meant getting Teddy back, Draco could follow the rules of the law, he could play nice.

Clenching his teeth, Draco knew he didn't have a choice.

He couldn't lose Teddy.

x-x-x

"Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe the pleasure so early on a Monday morning?"

Draco strode up to Kara Dribble's desk in the Department of Magical Familial Services precisely at eight o'clock the following morning. While Potter had seen a different Care-Seeker the previous Friday, Ms. Dribble had been the witch that outlined the situation for Draco. Old and frail but sharp as broken glass, Ms. Dribble hadn't spared Draco any niceties at the time, something he respected. It gave him hope that a direct approach on her would yield him from positive results.

"Is there anything that is legally keeping me from seeing Teddy?"

Ms. Dribble frowned, regarding him from behind her thick glasses with furrowed brows. "Is there something on your mind, Mr. Malfoy? You are not a dim man. You know that Mr. Potter is Teddy's guardian now."

"Yes, I know that." Draco tried not to let his exasperation show. "But what I'm asking-"

"Is if you could see Teddy? Such as visitations?"

"Yes."

The old witch tutted, shaking her head slightly. "There is nothing that prohibits you from seeing Teddy as far as our department goes. But as Mr. Potter is now responsible for the boy, it is entirely up to him who has access to Teddy, myself and Jameson being the obvious exception."

Pursing his lips together, Draco's mind whirled. If he wasn't under any sort of restraints as far as the law was concerned...

"However, just because you _can_ see the boy doesn't mean that you _should_. I realize that you likely have a much stronger bond with Teddy than Mr. Potter."

If only she knew the half of it.

"But things are what they are, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter has guardianship for now, and short of him proving to be a danger to or outright neglectful of Teddy, very little is going to change that. I would not recommend intruding upon them at this time. They'll have a lot of adjusting to do, and I suspect you appearing and trying to take over could complicate things for young Teddy."

"But-" Draco stopped himself. He did not want to appear angry. "I...I fail to see how my visiting Teddy would hinder his time with Potter when I'm not around."

"You're not wrong."

"I-pardon me?"

"You're not wrong." Ms. Dribble was nodding, but her eyes were sympathetic. "It could be quite beneficial, just as it could also be disastrous. For now, unless Mr. Potter personally seeks you out, my professional suggestion would be to simply wait."

"I'm sorry, what? Just wait?" Draco could hear the irritation in his voice and tried to reset. "I...I've been caring for Teddy for about a year now. I don't think I can just wait around while I don't know how that-" He stopped, took a breath. "While I don't know how Potter is faring with Teddy."

A rather knowing smile twisted Ms. Dribble's thin lips "As, ah...chivalrous as that may be, Mr. Malfoy, I have to stand firm. These cases are never easy, and there is always more than one person on the losing end in the beginning. But keep in mind that Mr. Potter and Teddy will be checked in on periodically. Should Jameson or I catch a whiff of any unsuitability, Teddy will be promptly removed and placed elsewhere."

"Like with me?"

At that, the old witch openly laughed. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy." She waved a hand at him, dismissing him. "You go on now. I know you don't like it, but stay away unless Mr. Potter asks you to help. You might be surprised later."

Hands balled into fists in his pockets and teeth furiously grinding together, Draco turned on his heel and all but stormed out of the office.

"'Might be surprised later,'" Draco seethed under his breath as he exited the department and made for the lift. "As if the egomaniac would every actually ask for help...he'll run himself and Teddy into the ground before he'll ask me for help..."

The lift doors opened to the Ministry's main atrium. Draco let the indistinct buzzing of activity wash over him, trying to let it drown away the swirling fury in his chest. Not that he had anticipated Ms. Dribble signing over Teddy to him or anything of the sort, but he had definitely not expected her to blatantly tell him to back off. A growl hung in his throat.

"What are you doing here?"

Draco turned slightly at the voice, finding the very source of all his problems standing within cursing range. Potter's face was tinged pink and contorted in just as much disgust as Draco felt.

"This is a public space, Potter. Or had you thought you owned the Ministry?"

Seeing the fury burn in those green eyes gave Draco great pleasure. But the triumph was fleeting as Draco remembered his talk with Ms. Dribble. He needed Potter's damned approval to see Teddy. With a sharp breath through his nose, Draco took a few steps toward Potter.

Potter's hand went to his pocket.

"Merlin, you'd risk Azkaban hexing an unarmed man in the middle of the Ministry?" Draco scoffed. But as he drew closer and Potter's face was nearing the point of popping a vein, Draco tried to lose his favorite cutting tone. "Look, I-"

"Just fuck off, Malfoy," Potter snarled. He seemed to have just realized how close Draco had come and pointedly strode in the opposite direction toward the lifts.

"Damn it, Potter, will you just-"

"No!"

And without so much as a glance back, Potter's mop of unruly back hair vanished among the throngs pouring into the lifts.

Draco ran a shaking hand through his hair, rage making him feel weak in his own skin. If Potter was going to be like that...

This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Shell Cottage wasn't quite as it always had been. Before gaining temporary guardianship of Teddy only one week previous, Harry hadn't even been back to Bill and Fleur's home since...Harry shook himself. He didn't need to think about all that.

Apparating just outside the front door at three minutes after four, Harry stepped into the living room of the cottage, careful to watch his feet for the slew of baby toys that littered the floor. New photos hung from the walls and sat on the fireplace mantle; there were photos of Bill and Fleur, their families, and now their own baby, little Victoire, born almost ten months ago on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.

Harry had been just as excited as the rest of the Weasleys when Fleur announced her pregnancy, and he had been among the first to hold the little girl after she had been born. But the little alien that he had held then was not the toddler that now waddled around Shell Cottage when Harry dropped Teddy off in the mornings before work. Victoire was going to be as gorgeous as her mother and, if her tantrums were anything to go by, just as fiery.

"Ah, 'ello, 'arry!" Fleur said as Harry entered the living room. She sat on a padded wooden rocking chair, Victoire on her breast and Teddy at her feet.

"Hey," Harry said. "How was today?"

"Oh, 'arry, you worry too much!" she said, flipping her hair slightly. "Leetle Teddy was fine, as 'e was all week! Now, 'aven't you an appointment zis afternoon?"

"Er, well, yes," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "So we have to get going pretty quick. You ready, Teddy?"

Teddy didn't respond right away, instead choosing to continue stacking the blocks he had before him. It added to Harry's stress. He didn't want to overly rush Teddy and upset him just before their appointment. He also really needed Teddy to hurry so Harry could do everything he needed to do.

"Teddy?"

Nothing.

"Teddy, come on, we have to head home."

Teddy's head popped up abruptly, eyes wide. "Home?"

Harry flinched. "Well, back to my flat. New home, remember?"

"Oh." Teddy's face fell, but he did finally stand up and reach out for Harry to pick him up. It broke Harry's heart every time he had to remind Teddy that his old home, his family, everything he knew before was now gone.

"Thanks again, Fleur," Harry said, turning back to her.

"No-zing about it, 'arry. Don't forget heez bag on ze couch."

"Right. Well, see you later, then." And he grabbed the small blue backpack, pulled Teddy into his side a little tighter, and turned on the spot to Apparate home.

'Home' was not designed for two people, however small one of those people might be. When Harry had moved to London in search of his own flat close to the Ministry, he hadn't planned on ever needing much space. With the demanding nature and full-time schedule of the Auror program, he really only needed the flat as a place to sleep, shower, and eat. So he had found a quiet wizarding complex that offered cheap rates and leased the first available unit, which happened to be an incredibly tiny one-bedroom on the fourth floor.

Not exactly designed for a wild toddler and all his things.

It hadn't occurred to Harry just how much _stuff_ a toddler needed. The Department of Magical Familial Services had provided Teddy with a box of nappies, wipes, several clothes, and a crib, but that was it. Past that, things only occurred to Harry at Ms. Weasley's prompting ("You'll need to cast some child-proofing spells to keep him from getting to the balcony,") or when things didn't quite work out (Harry had offered Teddy milk from a regular glass and quickly discovered why little kids have cups with lids). Now, after a week with Teddy, Harry's flat was a toddler-proofed, toddler-friendly, toddler-messy nightmare.

Harry hardly had room to navigate to the kitchen area with Teddy and his bag in his arms. Toys, clothes, and random clutter covered the scuffed wood floors that were exposed around the crowded furniture. Harry's foot clipped the edge of Teddy's chair at the table as he neared the counter, knocking the booster sitting there onto the floor.

"Damn."

"Dam."

"No, Teddy," Harry groaned. "No, that's not a good word. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it."

"Dam."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in exhausted frustration. It had been a rather long week, adjusting to Teddy and Teddy adjusting to him. Aside from figuring out just what all a toddler needed and how to care for one, Harry had also been struggling through the swinging grief and confusion that Teddy endured once he seemed to realize that he wasn't going home to Andromeda. He was hard to put to sleep, hard to wake, hard to convince to eat, and more than once Harry found himself just hugging a sobbing Teddy as they tried to figure things out together. All that on top of his training left Harry barely conscious.

But he only had fifty minutes until their appointment.

"Teddy?" Harry leaned back so he could look into Teddy's eyes. "We have the Care-Seekers from the Ministry coming over soon. So we need to make sure the flat looks its best, okay? Do you think you can help me pick things up and put them back where they go?"

Teddy just stared at him.

"Please?" Harry squatted down and set Teddy on his feet. "Can you pick up your toys for me, please?"

"Toy!" Teddy suddenly squealed, turning and racing into the little bedroom he and Harry shared. Harry hoped it was to do as he asked.

The rest of the hour was a blur for Harry. The kitchen was such a disaster that Harry decided to leave it for last, instead tackling the living area and bedroom to make sure everything was put back where it needed to go and was mostly cleaned. With only twenty minutes left until the Care-Seekers' arrival, Harry finally turned to the kitchen and set the dishes to wash themselves while he tidied up the clutter as best he could by hand.

"Teddy?" Harry called with two minutes left. "Teddy, what are you doing?"

When there wasn't an answer, Harry waved his wand to finish the dishes and made his way back into the bedroom. Teddy wasn't there.

"Teddy?"

Nothing.

"Teddy!"

Harry rushed into the bathroom and ripped back the shower curtain, opened the cabinets and cupboards, then slammed them all shut and dropped to the floor next to the bed. Huddled beneath it in a ball was Teddy, idly playing with a figurine of some sort that Bill had bought him.

"Teddy," Harry said gently. "Come out, please. You don't need to be playing under the bed."

Teddy blinked back at him, mouth turned down in a frown. With a sigh, Harry reached under and carefully dragged the toddler out from under the bed, letting his little arms latch onto his neck and legs wrap as best they could around his waist. Harry sat up and hugged Teddy back, hoping he was giving Teddy the comfort he needed.

A knock came from the front door.

"That'll be the Care-Seekers," Harry murmured. Mr. Cook and Ms. Dribble were exactly on time. Just as Harry rose to his feet with Teddy still in his chest, his watch chimed once to alert the change from 4:59 to 5:00.

"Good afternoon, Harry, Teddy," Mr. Cook said with a smile when Harry opened the door.

"Good afternoon," Harry replied. His voice sounded hoarse.

There was a beat of silence as the three of them simply stared at one another. It was Ms. Dribble's brittle voice that broke the moment.

"May we come in?"

"Oh, yeah! Yes, yes, of course!" Harry took a hasty step back to clear the doorway. "Please, come in."

Closing the door behind his visitors, Harry tried to shake the feeling of being trapped in a den of lions. He took a deep breath and turned toward the Care-Seekers.

"Do you want to sit down?"

"Actually, if you don't mind-" Mr. Cook began.

But Ms. Dribble cut across him, voice kind but firm. "I'll be taking a look around the home, first, thank you."

Harry swallowed.

"Well, while Kara takes the tour," Mr. Cook said mildly, "I can check in with you two. First and foremost, how are you doing Teddy?"

His voice was gentle, but Mr. Cook's question sent Teddy diving into Harry's neck. His knees and hands tucked hard into his chest, knocking some of the air out of Harry. A grunt slipped out of them both, and Mr. Cook's smile fell slightly.

Harry tried to explain. "He's been really...er...shy this week."

"It's understandable, given the circumstances." Mr. Cook withdrew a roll of parchment from the bag Ms. Dribble had laid on the loveseat. He sat down. "Has he been overly reserved, do you believe?" With a wave of his wand, a harsh black quill appeared and began taking notes on its own accord. Frustrating memories from his fourth year sprang to Harry's mind.

"Er...nothing I wouldn't...uhm...expect."

"Just ignore the quill," Mr. Cook said. "So would you say that his behavior this week is more in line with his typical behavior, or would you say that he's been acting less like himself?"

"Er..." It had occurred to him only hours after taking Teddy home, but Harry actually had little idea of Teddy's 'typical behavior.' Prior to suddenly becoming all that Teddy had left, Harry only took Teddy on outings perhaps once a week for a couple hours at most. If he had to be entirely honest with himself, he hadn't a clue if his godson was behaving strangely or not.

But, of course, Harry couldn't admit that fact to the two people who held Teddy's fate in their hands.

Harry cleared his throat as he eased into the single chair that sat facing the loveseat. "He's been a bit more shy than normal, but otherwise, he's doing pretty good, I think."

"Any acting out? Tantrums, hiding, refusing to eat?"

"Er..."

Torn between telling the truth and potentially losing the Care-Seekers' confidence and lying and definitely losing the Care-Seekers' confidence, Harry's words failed him. A dense silence filled the tiny living space. Several seconds ticked by. Mr. Cook simply waited.

Harry cleared his throat again.

"You know," Ms. Dribble called as she drifted from the bedroom to the bathroom, "chaos and unruliness is expected. The child's behavior is only a vague reflection of the new life you're providing for him right now. So we expect honesty, Mr. Potter."

Heat filled his face, and Harry hugged Teddy a little closer as he said, "Yeah, refusing to eat some and...and he hides anytime he knows we're going somewhere."

Mr. Cook frowned. "Do you take him out often?"

"Wh-no, not like that," Harry stuttered, eyes back on Ms. Dribble as she shuffled into the kitchen. "No, not like _out_, just when I take him to be watched in the mornings and when I pick him up after work."

"Ah. And who watches him?"

"Well usually my...er...friend's brother's wife watches him." Harry grimaced at the absurdity of the phrasing. "They're more like family, really. Fleur's more of a sister to me than a friend's brother's wife. She-well, they have a daughter a bit younger than Teddy. She's...almost a year? About ten months. Something like that. So Fleur really knows what she's doing, and Teddy seems to be okay with her-"

"And this is the Weasley family you're referring to?" Mr. Cook interrupted. Harry nodded. "Well, We'll see if we can arrange an interview with Mrs. Weasley in a few weeks to see how well she thinks you're doing with Teddy as well."

"Right."

"And you say that Mrs. Weasley 'usually' watches Teddy...?"

"Well, she watched him every day this week but Thursday because she had some errands to run, so my friend's mom, Mrs...er...Molly Weasley watched him that day."

"Well, Jameson, the flat's not in ruins."

Mr. Cook looked up in surprise as Ms. Dribble made her way to stand beside them. "Finished already? You usually take a touch longer."

"Not much to see," she said with a thin smile. "Tiny place you have here, Mr. Potter."

"Well-"

"When do you plan to find a larger home? I think either a nice house with a yard, or at the absolute least a larger flat so this child may have his own space to grow, should be your next step."

"I...I hadn't thought much about moving."

The nearly-gone brows over Ms. Dribble's sharp eyes knitted together. "You haven't? Surely it feels a bit cozy in here?"

"I-I mean, it does." Harry rubbed Teddy's back as he snuggled deeper into his chest. "It's definitely tight, but I just-it hadn't occurred to me what with everything else going on."

Both Care-Seekers nodded. Mr. Cook stood then, and Harry hastily followed suit. The rise was clumsy with Teddy still glued to him, though Harry tried not to look as out of sorts as he felt.

"Well, while understandable," Ms. Dribble said, "I would recommend looking into the idea as you approach the closing of your leasing agreement. When is that?"

"I'm signed through June."

"I see." Ms. Dribble smiled at him, though Harry felt that it was somehow the tiniest bit threatening. He tried to return the gesture but was pretty certain he just grimaced at the old witch. Not quite how he wanted to give his farewell as the small group made their way to the door.

"Well, Harry," Mr. Cook said with a wave of his wand, "thank you for your time." The quill and parchment dropped all signs of life, falling into the wizard's hands. "We have the little we need at this time, and we will be returning in exactly three weeks, on Friday, the 24th of March, for a more thorough interview and inspection once both of you have had some time to adjust."

"Right. Sounds...sounds good."

Ms. Dribble nodded once, eyes intent on him. "Indeed. Good evening, Mr. Potter."

* * *

Beer was supposed to make one sleepy, Draco thought as he stared at the clock in his kitchen. It was nearing ten o'clock, there were three empty bottles of Kindle Hops on the tabletop, and Draco was still riding an anxiety-driven high that was threatening to totally consume him. All he wanted was to sleep and work, with no time to think in between.

The week had not been kind to him.

Between accidentally Apparating to the Manor's old plot almost daily, keeping up with his work at the Apothecary, and worrying about Teddy, Draco found himself rapidly becoming an insomniac. The days following his brief meeting with Ms. Dribble were excruciatingly endless. Time dragged on and on in ways he hadn't believed possible. How long was he expected to wait for Potter to grow a brain?

"Fuck this," he snapped suddenly, rising to his feet. Potter was an absolute cabbage that literally wasted the oxygen he sucked up every second, and Draco was not about to be at his mercy any longer.

Enough was enough.

With a final swig of his beer and a turn on his heel, Draco Disapparated.

Only a twinge of shame flickered in his chest as Draco looked up at the multitude of tall buildings before him. After Potter had left him in the atrium, Draco had promptly scrapped his original plan of taking Teddy back without breaking a single rule. Years of experience made Draco's hunt for Potter's address take less than an hour in the all but deserted Wizarding Resources Department.

Draco knew Potter had no class, but the towering buildings clustered together barely a kilometer from the Ministry's main entrance...Draco scrunched his nose at the fading red brick and stained concrete before him. A building marked with a cracked sign that read, 'COMPLEX E' was in front of him. Draco took to the wide stairs, sincerely concerned that there was no handrail.

It was a far cry from the spacious Manor to which Teddy had grown accustomed.

Draco made his way up the stairs, quickly finding himself on the fourth level and staring at Potter's front door. Without giving himself the chance to think better of it, Draco raised his hand and rapped on the door, loud and insistent. A few moments went by without a response before Draco knocked again. Then front door opened.

Potter's voice was soft and irritated. "Who the bloody-"

But Draco didn't let Potter finish his thought as he strode right into him, knocking Potter aside as he entered the flat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Potter draw his wand.

"Don't you dare attack me, Potter."

Potter froze. "Malfoy?"

"Congratulations, it only took you ten seconds to recognize a familiar face instead of thirty. Now where is he?"

"Wh-" Potter shut the door behind him and hurried over to snag Draco's arm as he made to go further into the flat. Not that he'd have gotten far. The place was impossibly crowded. How could Teddy grow in a place like this? Draco wrenched his arm away from Potter's hand before he could get a grip.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Potter hissed. "You think you can just break into my flat whenever you want?"

"You _opened the door_ for me. And I'd hardly call this a flat. A high-rise shack is more descriptive."

"How the fuck do you even know where I live?"

Draco closed his eyes a moment, trying to gather himself. This was going wrong fast. "This is to be the smallest place I've ever seen an actual human living. Teddy's going to suffocate here."

Potter blinked stupidly. "You came to see Teddy?"

"Of course I did! You've kept him from me ever since the Ministry just handed him to you, and I won't allow it anymore!"

"Shhh!" A finger sprang to Potter's lips. "He's finally asleep and has had a long day. He needs to sleep, not you bursting in and bothering him!"

"You want me to prove how inaccurate that is, Potter? Or could your overly-inflated ego handle it?"

"Just come outside. Keep your voice down." Potter pointed to a set of glass doors and led the way through them and onto what might be called a balcony. Once Potter had pulled the doors nearly shut but for a fraction to listen for Teddy, he turned to face Draco with a dramatic sigh.

Potter looked exhausted. Deep, dark bags hung under dull and glazed eyes. His lips were unreasonably chapped, his hair had a greasy sheen to it, and Potter's clothes were so wrinkled that Draco was tempted to ask if he purposely wore them that way.

Instead, he sneered, "You look dead on your feet. Your place is a mess. You're obviously struggling. How's all that Chosen One bravado working for you in parenthood?"

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"To see Teddy," he replied at once.

"I just told you he's asleep."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Honestly. I'm not about to wake him up now that I know he's sleeping. But I want time with him again. I looked after and saw Teddy every day before this, and I am not about to have you take that away from me when I am obviously so much better suited for the task. Just because most of Teddy's family is gone now doesn't mean that he ought to be entirely without them."

"I-" Potter stopped abruptly, an odd look flitting across his face. Confusion, so common in those eyes, flared and faded into annoyance before he shook his head and continued. "Teddy's happy here, and Ms. Weasley and Fleur are happy to watch him while I'm working. He doesn't need another person in the rotation."

"Teddy hardly knows those witches," Draco insisted. "I wouldn't just be another ace in the rotation, you idiot, I'm someone he actually knows, someone he happens to like, regardless of what you would prefer."

"I-"

"Look," Draco dropped all pretense, shamelessly throwing himself to the wolves in desperation. "I can't expect to have the life with Teddy I had before all this, but at the very least, I could watch him for you during the day while you're off doing whatever it is you do at the Ministry. Having two people he knows and trusts watching him regularly will be better for him than whatever chaos you're tossing him through now."

Potter's mouth opened and closed a couple times. Draco could practically hear the rusty gears turning at half speed.

"I mean, that's all well and good," Potter began after a moment. "But I'm gone five days a week, eight hours a day minimum. I'm sure you can't just up and drastically change your work schedule like that-"

"I can make my own hours as it is. All I need to do with adjust them so that I'm available when Teddy needs me."

Potter groaned, letting his head fall back. After a few seconds, he lifted his head to glare at Draco. "Okay, fine. You can watch Teddy Monday."

Wild joy erupted in Draco's heart. But one day, while a start, wasn't enough. "And the entire week, surely," he said.

"No, Malfoy, I said Monday."

"You also just agreed that my idea was in Teddy's best interest."

"No, I just didn't say you were wrong."

"Potter, I swear to-"

"Look, you can take Monday or nothing!" Potter snapped.

The two glared at one another for several seconds, and Draco could have sworn he saw Potter's hand twitch toward his pocket. But the moment passed and Draco grinned. It didn't matter that Potter wasn't agreeing to more than a single day now. There was no way even the empty-headed Harry Potter wouldn't see how much Draco watching Teddy was going to benefit the boy. It'd just take some time. And Draco had time.

"What are you smirking at?"

"Oh, I'll have more of Teddy than that before long," Draco said. "I'm not even concerned."

"If you think you're just going to up and _steal_ Teddy or some other-"

"You misunderstand me in your urgency to paint me as the villain in your boring little world." Draco rolled his eyes. "You think I'm going to do anything that will remotely jeopardize my seeing Teddy? I knew you were an idiot, Potter, but my _word_."

Red began pooling in Potter's cheeks as his jaw drew tight, and Draco chuckled lightly. The juvenile pleasure in riling up the Boy Who Lived would never go away entirely, no matter how reformed Draco was these days.

"I look forward to seeing Teddy Monday, then. A little before eight?"

The complete constipation taking hold of Potter's face was too much. Draco laughed.

"I'll see you then."

And with a sharp pop, Draco turned on the spot and Disapparated.

Victory.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry really hated how nice Malfoy's flat was. Whereas Harry's was only technically not a studio because he had a bedroom door, Malfoy's was reminiscent of an actual home; two spacious bedrooms with enough floor space around the furniture to actually enjoy them, a kitchen that could comfortably fit a family, and a living space with enough room to actually live. Standing there now, Harry scowled at the high quality armchairs, end tables, and unnecessarily large bookshelves. There was no way Malfoy ever read anything for fun, surely? And yet, Harry stood in the prat's living room, losing count of how many volumes were stuffed onto the gorgeous shelves.

"This is my new home, Teddy," Malfoy was kindly explaining to Teddy a few paces away. His voice was unrecognizable to Harry, soft without malice. Even Malfoy's face was different. Harry couldn't quite tear his gaze from Malfoy as he told Teddy that he, too, had to find a new home. His face seemed to lose all its harsh lines and his eyes relaxed in a way Harry had been convinced until seconds ago wasn't possible.

It was unnerving.

"Well, feel free to explore, little one," Malfoy said. His pale eyes slid past Teddy and met Harry's. "Why don't you say farewell and then we can have a proper look together?"

Teddy turned around and beamed at Harry, hurrying over to hug his leg. "Bye!"

Forcing himself not to meet Malfoy's smug gaze, Harry embraced Teddy tightly. He hadn't seen Teddy look so happy since he had taken custody of him, and there was no way Malfoy didn't know it. Frustration seared his stomach, but Harry just smiled back at Teddy as he kissed his forehead.

"I'll be back after work to take you home, okay?"

Teddy nodded, smile still lighting up his face. That was what was important, Harry told himself. This was going to be good for Teddy. That was what was important.

* * *

The frantic, rage-driven homemaking from the previous weekend finally showed Draco a result worth its while.

_Teddy was there_.

"This is my bedroom," Draco was saying, Teddy at his knee as they stood in the doorway. "This is where I sleep now. And this," he said, leading Teddy to the other bedroom by the hand, "this is...well, this is a spare room for now. But I'd like one day for this to be your bedroom."

The little boy just stared at the bland room. Nothing hung from the walls but a basic black frame with a shifting stock photo on the interior. The window was concealed behind thin gray curtains. While Draco had optimistically bought and constructed a sleigh-style toddler bed that was tucked into the corner, the only other furniture were a simple black chest of drawers and an empty bookshelf. Not exactly what one would point out as a child's bedroom, but Draco wasn't a fool. He knew that this day with Teddy could easily be the last time he ever saw the boy.

"But that's for another day," Draco said pleasantly. "You're welcome anywhere, little one. For now, have you eaten a proper breakfast? Are you hungry?"

Teddy nodded enthusiastically, reaching up to Draco with both hands. Happy to oblige, Draco lifted Teddy into his arms, holding him firm against his chest. Little arms wrapped tightly around his neck and squeezed. Teddy dropped his head onto Draco's shoulder.

_Fuck_, he had missed this. Nothing compared anymore.

Things weren't the same as they had been, however. After nibbling on the crust of a single piece of toast for half an hour, Teddy abruptly burst into tears; frightened, hot tears that fell like a torrential downpour onto Teddy's cheeks. They converged into swift rivers that ran across his jaw and down his neck, quickly wetting his shirt collar.

"Oh, Teddy..."

Relishing in the crumbs that mingled with the tears and slobber that soaked into his shirt, Draco took Teddy into his arms again. During his breaks at the Apothecary that week, he had read up as much as he could on grieving children. He had wanted to know what to expect, how to help if and when he saw Teddy again.

The toddler sobbed as gasped for breath in Draco's chest. He patted Teddy's back softly. "There, there...you're safe here, little one. I know things are hard now...I know..." His voice caught unexpectedly, his mother's kind voice speaking almost identical words to him not so long ago echoing in his heart. He cleared his throat. "I know things seem bad now. But you have me, and you have..." He grimaced. "...you have Pot-Harry. And if things go our way...it'll stay that way."

The words seemed to soothe Teddy slightly. His shoulders still quivered, but all was quiet after a few minutes.

"Want Mamie, D-aco."

"I know you do."

"Want...go home."

"I know, Teddy."

"Why...why not we go home?"

Draco chuckled lightly at the phrasing. "Things are different now, is all. The Manor is gone. Mamie and Aunt Cissy are dead. There is no old home to return to. That's why you're living with Potter, I mean, Harry now. That's why I live here now. Things are just different."

"Want Ha-wee."

Draco's jaw locked. Objectively, of course Teddy would want to see Potter. Not so objectively, Teddy had absolutely no right to ask for that sorry excuse for a guardian. He exhaled slowly.

"I know, little one. But he's at work right now."

"With...with im-imgrients."

"Well, his work is different from mine," Draco said. "I doubt he messed with potions ingredients like I do."

"Oh." Teddy leaned back then, his huge blue eyes still wet from his crying. "Want...music?"

Draco smiled. "Now that I can make happen."

In refined wizarding society, a culture in which Draco had been rather forcefully raised, music was a thing of delicate strings and polished silver horns. The tempo rarely ventured above one hundred beats per minute for fear of racing the melodies. Such polite harmonies were a luxury in the world Draco had grown up in, obviously becoming something his father rather desperately sought, something Draco had been made to learn.

His first violin was gifted to him before his fifth birthday, and the lessons he took twice a week were an annoying constant in his life until he finally left for Hogwarts. Sure, he was expected (and seen through) to keep up with the skill over holidays, but at least he wasn't constantly critiqued by the snide old wizard who had taught him.

When Teddy had requested a song from Draco shortly after moving into the Manor, it had been well over two years since he had touched an instrument. But there was no forgetting something so ingrained into a person's fingers.

Surprisingly, making the switch to a simple muggle guitar had not been very difficult.

Draco stood from the breakfast table, Teddy in tow, and found the dark acoustic instrument in his bedroom. After the war, Draco had done as much as possible to separate himself from the boy he once had been. Part of that change included a very therapeutic violin-shattering session.

Teddy beamed at the guitar as Draco set him gently on his bed. Strumming a few notes to confirm that the guitar was still in tune, Draco felt the familiar throb in his fingertips as the music filled the room. He took a few steps back from the bed and leaned against the wall.

"Sing 'Ever-lah,' D-aco, sing 'Ever-lah!'" Teddy squeaked.

Draco smiled.

His acoustic spin was far simpler than the original tune. It was by an artist he discovered by happenstance shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, probably within days of his name being cleared by the Ministry. It was a muggle song, but perhaps that was why he had taken such a shine to the group. It was another part of his childhood self he was eager to leave behind, the open hatred for all things muggle.

Not that nearly two decades of listening to his family's views could be erased overnight, or even in the course of a year. How could one truly believe muggles and wizards were at all comparable? One wielded magic and the other did not. But that didn't mean muggles deserved to be ruthlessly murdered, horribly ridiculed, or unabashedly controlled. Less than Draco thought they were, they were still humans.

After several chords, Draco began to softly sing:

"The gap that grows between our lives,  
The gap that our parents never had;  
Stop those thoughts, control your mind;  
Replace the things that you despise.  
Oh, you're old, I hear you say.  
It doesn't matter that I don't care;  
I don't believe in it anymore;  
Pathetic acts for a worthless cause."

Teddy slid off the bed, his legs buckling beneath him as he struck the carpet. As Draco began to strum the gentle bridge, he watched Teddy fall to his rear with a soft thump. Teddy's smile didn't even falter. He dropped to his hands and knees and scurried closer. Draco continued:

"In the beginning,  
When we were winning,  
When our smiles were genuine;  
But now, unforgiven,  
The everlasting, everlasting."

Draco crouched down as Teddy drew closer. The guitar pushed into his legs as he sat down, vibrations feeling good on his soul as he continued to play. As he always had when Draco played, Teddy reached over and began to tap the body of the guitar. He lacked rhythm entirely, but the attempt was too precious to scold.

"The world is full of refugees,  
They're just like you and just like me.  
But as people, we have a choice  
To end the void with all its force.  
So don't forget or don't pretend,  
It's all the same now in the end.  
It was set in a different life;  
Destroys my days and haunts my nights.  
In the beginning,  
When we were winning,  
When our smiles were genuine;  
But now, unforgiven,  
The everlasting, everlasting.  
In the beginning,  
When we were winning,  
When our smiles were genuine-"

Draco's fingers played a final chord and hung over the guard. The last note hung around him and Teddy as Draco finished the song acapella:

"But now, unforgiven,  
The everlasting, everlasting."

Teddy's hand stopped it's off-beat accompaniment, resting flat on the slick wood of the guitar in Draco's lap. His smile was bright as the sun, eyes wide with familiarity and contentedness. This was the Teddy Draco knew, the one that he was desperate not to let slip away. Regardless of who was the boy's guardian, Draco would do everything in his power not to let the bubbling spirit dissolve under the weight of his grief.

"Feeling better?" he asked Teddy after a moment. Teddy nodded, and he looked it. "Should we sing another song, or would you be interested in the Gradienting Color Quills I took the liberty of buying you yesterday?"

Teddy tilted his head. "Cuh-wer Wills?"

"Oh, yes. But these aren't just any Color Quills; these change shade as you use them," Draco said persuasively.

"Yes!"

"Come to the living room, then," Draco said, carefully setting the guitar back in its stand as he ushered Teddy out of the bedroom. Much as he enjoyed playing for the toddler, part of Draco felt his skill was a backhanded talent that hinted at his former self, all those hours spent learning how to become the refined sort of wizard that his father wanted.

Draco shook himself. He hadn't time to dwell. He had an unstable toddler's day to make as stable as possible. He had to make sure that his time with Teddy made enough of an impression that even the blind Harry Potter couldn't ignore the benefits.

Perfect wasn't what Draco had aimed for, no, but the day was as close to it as he could have hoped. There were tears over a broken quill, frustrated squirming over nappy changes, too many snacks and not a single meal, usual Teddy behaviors. But there was an obvious calmness growing in the boy as the hours passed, easing Draco's own anxieties. They colored pictures, read through all of Teddy's favorite books that Draco had replaced, raced through the flat like fools. It was pure joy, being with Teddy again and watching him enjoy himself as well.

There was no way Potter could ignore the happy child he was going to be picking up that afternoon. Potter had so many reasons not to have ever agreed to Teddy having so much as one minute with Draco again. But agree he had, and Draco was passing the unsaid test with flying colors.

As much as he hated to say it, and he did...Draco was grateful that Potter had gotten his head out of his arse long enough to leave Teddy with him.

* * *

"And you just _left_ him there?"

"It's just a test run, Ron."

"Yeah, but with _Malfoy_? Why didn't you mention you left Teddy to die earlier?"

"Because I knew you'd say something stupid like that."

"Because it's Malfoy!"

"Look, I don't like it anymore that you, believe me." Harry pulled himself upward on the leveling bar, his muscles protesting only mildly after over a year of routine physical training. Ron pulled up beside him and they held their positions, fists under chins. "But the git had a point; Teddy's more comfortable with him than Fleur or your mum, and...you didn't see him this morning. I haven't see Teddy smile like that since before I got him."

Simultaneously, they heaved themselves further upwards, pushing their hands beneath them as they maneuvered to place their feet on the bar. Their hands retained their grips to steady them as they held the second position.

Ron scoffed. "I mean...I guess. But mark my words, Malfoy won't be okay with just seeing him on Mondays, mate."

Ron moved first, letting go of the bar and rising to stand, balancing without having adjusted his feet. Harry followed suit, keeping his feet just as stationary and focusing on his core muscles to keep him from falling the nearly two meters to the hard floor below. It had been the first of the Auror trainees' physical goals, to rise from a ground floor to an upper level with as little movement as possible. It was the hardest test to pass, relying almost entirely on core strength and somewhat on planning several steps ahead, but Harry and Ron had been able to master the task within two months. Although definitely not among the first to pass, they had both been pleased not to be anywhere near the last.

As they began the descending process, Harry thought about Ron's dark premonition. Malfoy was a taker, there was no doubt about that, but Harry had felt some confidence in Malfoy's own admission that he wouldn't do something to legally jeopardize his chances to see Teddy. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't badger Harry into seeing Teddy more than the current Mondays-only arrangement.

But as Teddy's smile from that morning cut through his worries, Harry couldn't help but wonder if it would really be so bad to let Malfoy watch Teddy more than once a week. If it made Teddy happy and more adjusted, it couldn't be so bad, seeing Malfoy for a few minutes of his day...every day...for...how long, though?

Harry dropped onto the floor beside Ron and the other trainees.

"Weasley!" barked their Fitness Trainer, a frighteningly muscular wizard named Roderick Shaw. "Tell me what the point of this particular exercise is!"

"So we can move without drawing a lot of attention to ourselves without magic."

"And why, pray tell, would an Auror need to know how to do such a thing? Arnold?"

A tall American witch with braided black hair answered. "We are training to be the best of the best, sir. Should we be tracking a dangerous individual among muggles, or should we find ourselves without our wands, we must be able to continue our work to the best of our ability."

"Dammit, Arnold!" Shaw shouted. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't get cheeky."

Harry's eyes felt heavy. Fitness Training was always held for half an hour in the morning and then two hours in the afternoons. But without fail, every day at about half past three, Harry felt his energy very suddenly leave him. He stifled a yawn.

"Alright, for the rest of our time here, let's see some laps, lads!"

Someone cleared their throat. Shaw groaned.

"And lasses! Come on, you lot, let's go!"

With a twist of Shaw's wand, the leveling bars Vanished and were replaced with rotating tracks in the floor that allowed the trainees to run at their own pace and stay in place. It was Harry's absolute least favorite exercise. To run as fast or slow as he pleased without actually going anywhere was the most mind-numbing thing he had ever endured, including all those hours wasted in Professor Binns' History of Magic classroom. He was sure he would fall asleep mid-jog today.

"Potter!"

Harry turned to Shaw. "Yes?"

"Over here, lad. I've got an itch that needs scratchin'."

Harry shot Ron a bewildered look but only received a shrug in reply as Ron hopped onto his track and began to run. With no other real option, Harry made his way over to the Fitness Trainer.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't look so scared, boy," Shaw said gruffly as Harry drew closer. "I don't actually need your nails, it's just a saying."

"Who...who says that?"

Shaw ignored him. "I was going to ask you last week what your problem was, Potter. Your performance has slipped a bit in the past fortnight."

Anxiety clawed at his stomach. "I'm sorry, Mr. Shaw, I'll-"

"No need. Thought I'd make you do longer runs or hang from the bars for an hour to slap you back into shape. But, fortunately for you, the Director paid me and the other instructors a visit after the trainees were dismissed last Friday. Told us you became a father."

"Er...yes?"

Shaw nodded. "Can't say I see the pull. Never had much family growing up. Never wanted to make my own. Students were enough for me. But..." Uncharacteristically, Shaw clapped Harry's shoulder and gripped it tight. His voice lost some of its usual clamor as he said, "But I realize that this is probably going to be a huge pile of meat on your plate right now. We're just bland peas while you're figuring out that kid, I'm sure."

"Uh..."

"The Director told us not to give you too much slack, as that 'defeats the purpose of our department' or whatever the like. But from me to you, I want you to keep doing your best, lad. Give me all you've got for now and I won't make a deal of it. But in, say, a month from now, you're still only reaching 90%, I'll be coming down hard on you. You hear me?"

"Thank you, sir."

"For today, because I'm such a sweetheart, you can leave early." Shaw winked at Harry. "I'll tell the team you're scrubbing the Infirmary Ward's loo to keep up appearances."

"Er...thank you, sir. I think."

Shaw slapped his back then, knocking Harry forward a few feet. The trainer raised his voice and practically shouted, "Get on out of here, Potter! You've got shit to do! We'll be seeing you tomorrow, you hear?"

Still exhausted and a bit bemused, Harry just nodded as he set for the door. He caught Ron's eye and waved before exiting into the Auror's main corridor.

An entire half hour early! Harry knew exactly what he was going to do with the unexpected free time. In his haste to retrieve Teddy after work each day, Harry skipped the chance to shower before leaving the Ministry as many of the other trainees did. His sweat clung to him all afternoon, and as he wasn't entirely sure if he could leave Teddy unsupervised for even a few minutes, Harry often took a hasty cold shower in the evenings after Teddy fell asleep.

Today, however, Harry was going to take a long, hot bath.


	4. Chapter 4

"Teddy, I'm back," Harry called as he Apparated into Malfoy's living room.

There was a series of small thumps, then the unmistakable pattering of feet fast approaching on soft carpet. Teddy burst through one of the bedroom doors then, carrying his favorite toy, a stuffed elephant with an unusually long trunk. The toddler rushed over and barreled into Harry's open arms.

"Hey, buddy," Harry murmured, breathing in Teddy's scent, letting it ground him. "Ready to head out?"

Teddy didn't answer, but he hummed into Harry's robes and wiggled a bit. It brought a smile to Harry's lips.

But it quickly fell at the sound of Malfoy's voice. "You seem to be in a hurry today."

Harry stood, Teddy's hand in his. "I'm always in a hurry to get out of here. You only just noticed?"

"Oh, I've noticed. But today's different," Malfoy said, crossing his arms. "You have somewhere to be, haven't you?"

"What's it to you?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Nothing at all."

Grinding his teeth, Harry forced himself to take a breath. After three weeks of having to see Malfoy more than he had since before the war, Harry's patience was wearing incredibly thin with the freak. Even when they had been at Hogwarts together, they hadn't nearly as many one-on-one interactions as they had now, and almost none of them required them to be as civil as they both tried to be with Teddy around. It made Harry's skin crawl, having to keep his wand away in Malfoy's presence.

But, after picking Teddy up from Malfoy's flat after work on that first visit, Harry had to furiously admit that it was the happiest he had seen Teddy since gaining guardianship over him. So, after drowning in owls from Malfoy in the days that followed, Harry had caved. Malfoy officially watched Teddy every day that second week, Teddy was happier than ever, and it was all over. Harry was livid that the slimeball had gotten exactly what he had wanted.

But it didn't matter, Harry kept reminding himself. Teddy's happiness was more important than Harry's personal rivalries.

"Well," Malfoy said, pulling Harry from his thoughts. "Go on, get out of here. I'll see you Monday, Teddy."

"Bye-bye!" Teddy waved frantically, and Malfoy smiled, giving the toddler a small wave back.

That had to be the strangest part about the entire arrangement, seeing Malfoy interacting with Teddy. Three weeks later, Harry still couldn't wrap his mind around how genuine Malfoy smiled at Teddy, how the kindness transformed his sickly appearance into something almost human. It wasn't natural.

"Right, then," Harry said awkwardly. He Disapparated, godson in tow.

The switch from Malfoy's flat to Harry's was always a bit jarring, much as Harry tried to ignore it. He set Teddy down and looked around. Having remembered the stress of trying to clean the entire place just before the Care-Seekers arrived last time, Harry took the time to do most of the cleaning the night before after Teddy had gone to bed. All that remained to do that afternoon were a few dishes. Still, the place was nothing compared to Malfoy's roomy flat. Harry sighed and sank into the loveseat.

"Ha-wee?"

He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. "Hm? What's up, Teddy?"

The little boy climbed onto the couch, crashing into Harry's lap. "No seep, pease."

"Oh, I'm not really trying to sleep," Harry chuckled. He pulled Teddy closer, resting a hand on his small back as Teddy slumped into his shirt. "Not really. I was just resting my eyes. I'm tired."

"Ha-wee tire?"

"Tire_d_."

"Tire."

"Yeah, sure." Harry's eyes were closed again. The loveseat was soft, sucking him into the worn cushions like a fierce caress. He had about three-quarters of an hour until the Care-Seekers arrived. He could afford to rest his eyes for five minutes.

There was a knock on the door.

Harry groaned. The last thing he needed was to deal with an unexpected guest before putting on a show for the Care-Seekers. Plus, it was going to take time away from his few minutes to relax. Sometimes it really felt as though he could never win.

"Harry?" Mr. Cook's voice called through the door, sounding concerned.

Harry's eyes flew open. Teddy was passed out on his chest. The clock above the balcony doors read 5:02.

Fuck.

"Coming!" Harry called, struggling to his feet with Teddy's dead weight. Hurrying to the door, Harry gave Teddy a little shake. "Teddy? Teddy, wake up. The Care-Seekers are here."

Teddy just grunted and turned his face from Harry, snuggling closer. Teddy had been sleeping better in the past week or so, which had exactly nothing to do with Malfoy, but as Teddy started sleeping more soundly Harry realized just how deep of a sleeper the little boy was. Once asleep, very little could wake him.

Harry opened the door.

"Hey! Hello, sorry about that!" Harry said, trying to sound more sheepish and less guilty. "I guess I didn't hear the door the first time."

"We knocked several times, Mr. Potter."

Harry pretended not to have heard Ms. Dribble, waving them both in with a smile. "Come on in."

"Oh, has Teddy fallen asleep?" Mr. Cook asked as he stepped inside.

Harry nodded. "Fell asleep just as we got home. He can be a pretty heavy sleeper, so I don't know if he'll wake up to talk or not."

Ms. Dribble frowned. "Does he often take a nap so late in the day?"

"Not since I've had him," Harry said, thinking quickly. "But I think he went to the park today and is a little more tired than usual."

"Well, sounds like the tyke had a bit more fun than he can handle."

Harry chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Toddler often bite off more than they can chew," Ms. Dribble said, turning towards the kitchen.

"Definitely." Harry watched as the old witch disappeared to inspect the flat. Mr. Cook was helping himself to the sitting area, pulling out his Quick-Notes Quill and parchment. Harry joined him, Teddy still a deadweight in his arms. "So, good day, Mr. Cook?"

"Oh, yes, thank you, Harry," Mr. Cook replied. "And how have things been for you since we last spoke?"

"Well, I think Teddy's settling in better now. I know I am, and I think that's helping him, too." Harry adjusted Teddy as the toddler twisted, trying to sink deeper into his lap. "He's sleeping better. He's eating a little better."

"Any concerns there?"

"Er...concerns?"

"Such as, say, any strange reactions to food? Do you feel he's eating enough?"

"It might take some time for you to gauge if a toddler has eaten enough," Ms. Dribble spoke up behind Harry, startling him. "Toddlers are strange creatures; they have odd eating habits and inconsistent stomachs."

An uncertain laugh bubbled in Harry's chest, shaking Teddy. "I suppose. I do wish he ate more," he admitted. Teddy often only ate a few bites of whatever he was given. It drove Harry mad, not just watching the food go to waste but also certain that Teddy was going to starve on his watch.

"But he doesn't seem hungry?" Ms. Dribble asked. She strode over to the bathroom, letting herself in without looking back.

"Well, no."

Mr. Cook waved his hand dismissively. "Then he's likely fine. A toddler won't let himself starve."

Teddy moaned then, a drawn-out and frustrated sound. He squirmed slowly as he stretched out his arms and legs individually. A hand smacked Harry in the face, knocking his glasses askew. Mr. Cook chuckled.

"And you mentioned that he's sleeping better?"

"Yeah. Not all night but he doesn't seem to...to wake up sad as often." Harry rubbed Teddy's back, recalling those first couple weeks. The desperately sad wails that punctured the darkness all hours of the night as Teddy would wake from a nightmare and realize that he wasn't with Andromeda. "He goes back to sleep almost immediately when he does wake up, so it's more sleep for both of us."

"'a-wee..." Teddy's soft voice was croaking with sleep. His eyes weren't even open. "Ha-wee?"

Harry twisted his head to look at Teddy. "What's up?"

"'lank? You 'lank?"

"Your...?" Harry's brows drew together as he tried to decipher what Teddy was saying. It was something else he hadn't quite been prepared for, the constant translating from toddler gibberish to actual English. "Your lank? Lank...oh! Your blanket?"

Teddy nodded. "'lank."

"Okay, let's...where did you put it?" Harry asked. But he was already standing, not really expecting an answer from the half-asleep toddler. Mr. Cook turned his head a few times, scanning the room. Harry searched briefly, too, but didn't immediately see the dull blue blanket that Teddy had taken a strong liking to in the past month. "I don't think we even went into the bedroom since we've been home...oh no."

Mr. Cook tilted his head. "Everything alright?"

"Oh, I think he left it."

Teddy huffed. "D-aco?"

"Yeah, Teddy, I think the blanket got left at Malfoy's."

"Malfoy?" Ms. Dribble asked sharply, popping back into the living room. "What's this about a Malfoy?"

"D-aco?" Teddy's head lifted then, his eyes open more. "'lank, Ha-wee?"

"I..." He spoke to Teddy first. "I'm sorry, but your blanket isn't here. We'll find another one in a minute." Then Harry looked back to Mr. Cook and Ms. Dribble. "It's, er, Draco Malfoy. A few weeks ago, he asked to watch Teddy while I was at work. I let him once, then it kind of turned into a regular thing...he's been watching Teddy while I'm at work instead of the Weasleys."

The Care-Seekers raised their brows and glanced at one another.

"I'm surprised, given your history with Mr. Malfoy, your willingness to allow such an arrangement," Ms. Dribble said.

Harry swallowed. Was letting a known ex-Death Eater watch Teddy, regardless of circumstances, going to make Harry look like an unfit guardian?

"I just...well, it seemed like the best idea," he stammered. "I mean, he-he-he doesn't know Fleur or Mrs. Weasley almost at all, and it seemed like a fair idea to try since...well, I mean-you know, since Malfoy lived with Teddy before and already knows him, and Teddy so far seems to really really like the arrangement and-"

"Mr. Potter," Ms. Dribble interrupted. "I must say, I am impressed."

"I know it-wait, what?"

"Impressed, Mr. Potter." For the first time since Harry had met her, Ms. Dribble was actually smiling. "That takes a lot of maturity, to not only recognize what would be best for a child, but to make it a reality even when it makes you uncomfortable."

Mr. Cook nodded. "It's quite well-known, the tension between you and the Malfoys. But as Mr. Draco Malfoy has only proven himself to be a law-abiding wizard since the war and has been regularly in Teddy's life until recently...well, Harry, I quite approve of Teddy having two familiar faces in his life versus your original routine with the Weasleys. This is likely why Teddy has been making great strides in his adjustment, wouldn't you say?"

"Er..."

"I would certainly say so," Ms. Dribble said. "Teddy, how do you like it?"

Still groggy, Teddy only looked at the Care-Seeker, face expressionless. Harry gave him a gentle jostle.

"Teddy, Ms. Dribble asked you something."

Nothing. If Harry was being honest with himself, he really wanted Teddy to tell the Care-Seekers that he didn't enjoy Malfoy or was at the very least indifferent. If Teddy lacked enthusiasm for the arrangement, perhaps Harry would be given a golden opportunity to tell Malfoy to shove off for good.

Ms. Dribble leaned in and softened her voice. "Teddy, honey? Do you like going to visit Draco Malfoy?"

Teddy lifted his chin. "D-aco?"

"Yes, dear."

"D-aco!" Teddy's voice betrayed Harry. It was all safety and joy, and it took everything in Harry not to openly groan in the Care-Seekers' beaming faces.

"This is excellent, Harry," Mr. Cook said. "Do you and Mr. Malfoy plan to continue this arrangement for long?"

"Er..." How long could he and Malfoy continue to see each other five days a week until they inevitably drew their wands and landed them both in trouble?

"Well, I should think at least until the end of your Auror training, yes?" Ms. Dribble interjected, brows raised sternly. "That's only until...when exactly are you due to graduate, Mr. Potter?"

"I...uhm...I believe next summer," Harry said. "June, I think."

Mr. Cook clapped his hands once. The sound startled Teddy, who jumped in Harry's arms before worming around to be set on the floor. Harry stooped over and let him down. Harry's stomach squirmed as Mr. Cook began to speak.

"Well, that's just perfect then, isn't it?"

"I...I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"A little over a year of this arrangement would be perfect for Teddy. Nice and consistent, with two people he already knows and trusts. I think this is promising for Teddy, Harry, I truly do."

"However," Ms. Dribble began. "It is over a year that this would be in effect at the very least. I think, at the very least for legality's sake, we ought to have this in writing with binds. This way, as Mr. Malfoy would be spending so much time caring for Teddy, there would be guidelines for you both."

"Almost along the lines of partial custody," Mr. Cook added thoughtfully.

Harry's jaw dropped. "Partial custody?" he rasped.

Ms. Dribble shook her head. "Oh, not in such a way. You would still be Teddy's legal guardian. All Jameson meant by that was that a contract would hold Mr. Malfoy legally responsible for Teddy's safety and care rather than as you both are now."

"Uh..."

"And I believe it might even financially benefit you in certain aspects..." Mr. Cook said slowly. "Kara and I would have to review a few previously documented cases and see if they can apply to your unique case, but I think it could be done."

"Of course, all this does require your consent, Harry."

Ms. Dribble's words washed over Harry as he stared in horror at the two people who held Teddy's future in their hands. It was an innocent statement, but Harry knew there was a pointed nudge in the old witch's words. If he blatantly refused at this point, after it being so obviously approved of by the Care-Seekers and Teddy, it would look childish on Harry's part. Not exactly ideal for a hopeful guardian. He was backed into a corner with nowhere to go but exactly where he didn't want to brave.

Fuck, he really hated Malfoy.

Trying to sound casual, Harry found himself saying, "Of course. Whatever's best for Teddy. When should we do this?"

* * *

It was an absolutely brilliant Saturday morning.

Draco strode in the brisk March air toward the Ministry's main entrance, his pleasure leaking into his step. It was hard not to grin as he made his way through the atrium, down the lifts, and into the Department of Magical Familial Services. The letter of victory was carefully folded in his breast pocket. Draco could practically feel the parchment emanating a warmth.

It had come only a few short hours after Potter had collected Teddy the night previous. Ministry owls were always obvious, being very well cared for and efficient in their work. Unsure what the Ministry could possibly want from him, it had been with great unease that Draco had untied the scroll from the large barn owl's leg.

**MR. DRACO MALFOY,**

**After our second scheduled visit to MR. HARRY POTTER's residence in regards to his temporary guardianship of THEODORE LUPIN, it has come to our attention that you have been taking care of THEODORE during MR. POTTER's work hours. In positive regards to this arrangement, the Department of Magical Familial Services requests that you appear in the office of AGT. JAMESON COOK or AGT. KARA DRIBBLE no sooner than 11 o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 25th of March. It is our hope that this meeting will result in a signed, legally binding contract that outlines the duties expected of yourself and MR. POTTER during THEODORE's temporary placement.**

**Thank you for your cooperation,**

**Agent Kara X. Dribble**

Draco could have flown with the ecstasy. Instead, he settled for arriving at the Ministry right at eleven o'clock the following morning, trying not to look too eager while still allowing himself to be openly pleased.

At eighteen passed eleven, Potter finally showed up. Teddy was on his hip and the small blue backpack was slung over his opposite shoulder. Looking harried and tired, Potter stumbled on the foot rug that was just inside the department's main door.

"D-aco!"

Teddy squirmed out of Potter's arm and hurried to throw himself into Draco's embrace. It was a brief hug, Teddy being used to seeing him now after all, but Draco was a bit surprised at the absolute fury that raged in Potter's eyes as he stomped closer.

Barely concealing a growl, Potter asked, "What are you doing here?"

Draco didn't answer immediately, choosing to pull back from Teddy and watch while the boy wandered off for the small play area before rolling his eyes back to Potter.

"I received an owl from Teddy's Care-Seekers requesting my presence for a joint custody meeting, Potter," Draco drawled, deliberately showing how satisfied he was as he embellished. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"It's not joint custody."

"Oh, dear Potter, that is not what the letter said."

"You-"

"Oh, Harry!" Mr. Cook's voice called. The man poked his head out from his office door, a large smile on his face. "You're right on time! Why don't you come on in?"

"Right," Potter said, turning his back on Draco. "Teddy, come on."

Teddy frowned from his position on the floor of the play area, blocks stacked about six high and another poised in his hand. "I wanna play."

"Teddy-"

"Don't worry yourself, Potter, I'll keep an eye on him." Draco smiled pleasantly as Potter shot a glare over his shoulder. "That is, afterall, why we're all here."

"Too right!" Mr. Cook answered enthusiastically, waving Potter into his office. "Come along, Harry, and we can make this quick."

Only the having an audience kept Draco from laughing out loud at the look on Potter's face. There was no way they wouldn't end up killing each other one day. But for the present, Draco and Potter were coming together for Teddy. It would do Potter some good to stop being so constipated about it for Teddy's sake.

Draco crossed his legs as he relaxed in his chair, watching Teddy play. He always had seemed to enjoy constructing things, something Draco wasn't sure he understood. Perhaps it was simply a toddler behavior. Perhaps Teddy would end up being a constructor of some sort.

And just like that, Draco realized that one day...Teddy would grow up. He wouldn't be little forever. He wouldn't ask Draco to sing for him forever. He wouldn't survive solely on rice, yogurt, and fish sticks forever. He wouldn't stack blocks forever. One day, Teddy would grow up. And Draco wanted to be there for it.

What were the details of the contract he was about to sign? If Potter was discussing the finer points with Mr. Cook just then, as Potter would still have much of the final say in those things, it was incredibly likely that there would be a time limit on the arrangement.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco snapped his head up, surprised that Mr. Cook was already peeking out at him.

"Would you collect Teddy and come in, please? I think we're ready."

Thankfully, Teddy came without much argument, but he did refuse to sit in Draco's lap once he settled into the chair next to Potter. Teddy opted to wander around the little space behind them, examining the tables that held bowls of fake fruit.

"He's fine," Mr. Cook said to Draco and Potter as they both glanced back at Teddy. "There's nothing he can permanently damage. While he's content, however, let's cover as much of this as we can, shall we?"

Mr. Cook pulled out a long scroll of parchment from the opposite side of the large desk and laid it on the surface between them. The writing was neat and small, filling the entire thing with all sorts of indentations, asterisks, bolded phrases, and blank underlines for signatures. It was a daunting piece of paperwork.

"Now," Mr. Cook began. "You both will be taking home copies of this agreement for your own records, so don't feel like you have to memorize this. But we'll begin with the points of importance.

"This beginning section covers the generals of your agreement; that you, Harry, are to remain Teddy's sole legal guardian pending final approval by the Care-Seekers managing Teddy's case. You, Mr. Malfoy, are not being granted custody in the sense that you will not be legally awarded, nor will Harry be legally bound to grant you, overnight or holiday privileges with Teddy. Your part will be to keep Teddy during Harry's work time hours during the week, which means that you are not legally obligated to watch Teddy should Harry have an evening or weekend need of child care."

"Alright," Draco said.

Mr. Cook nodded. "Excellent. Now, the rest of this document goes into the finer details and specifics of the agreement, mostly legal catch phrases that cover everyone's tails if there is an issue later down the line. However, if you two are quite alright with Harry dropping Teddy off at Mr. Malfoy's flat to be watched every weekday for an agreed-upon amount of time with no additional visitations, I highly doubt that either of you will stumble into legal trouble. Most of the time, disagreements appear in these types of agreements because one party tries to take advantage of the other."

Potter scoffed, just lightly enough to be ignored as a cough.

"But as both of you are very eager to keep Teddy out of the adoption system, Kara and I are quite confident that neither of you will try to step out of the agreement once you both have signed.

"There's also the matter of financial responsibilities."

Draco frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, right now, Harry is solely responsible for any financial needs Teddy requires." Mr. Cook sat back in his chair. "Annual check ups with a Pediatric Healer, nappies, food, clothes, future education costs, any emergencies that come up. That's all on Harry, however he can make that happen. As you will be caring for Teddy approximately a quarter of any single week, by signing this agreement you will become legally responsible for a quarter of these costs until the agreement is concluded."

Draco could feel Potter's gaze on him as Mr. Cook spoke. The hope radiating from the fool was suffocating. It couldn't be more obvious that Potter wanted Draco to decline, to place money above his love for Teddy and give up all rights to the boy, than if he had painted the words across his bare chest and danced on the desk. Frustration surged through Draco; could Potter stop being so _predictable_ for five sodding seconds and just behave until their could get out of sight of the Care-Seekers?

"Seems fair to me," Draco said evenly.

"Excellent. So, as far as renewability, this written agreement will expire on..." Mr. Cook glanced down the scroll, reading swiftly toward the bottom. "...at 11:59 in the evening on Friday, the first on June, 2001."

"Why-"

"That is Harry's graduation date from the Auror training program. Once he has graduated, he will be given a brief vacation, then his schedule will adjust to the department's needs. Depending on if Harry has been approved for permanent guardianship by then or now, another type of agreement between you two might be drawn up at that time."

"And if he is granted guardianship?"

"Then a renewed agreement would not be necessary. It would simply be up to Harry without our department's interference, as would be the case for any biological parent."

Draco swallowed. "And if he is granted guardianship before this agreement expires?"

"Well, as this is a legally binding document, you both would still be obligated to abide by it."

The sudden tension left Draco's shoulders, seeming to transfer directly to Potter's back, which went rigid at Mr. Cook's words.

Unable to help himself, Draco said, "That makes sense. It would give Teddy the most stability, which is what we all want."

The heat that came off of Potter was insatiably amusing. Draco bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh when Mr. Cook beamed at him.

"Yes, precisely! Glad to hear that you're both on board with this. We do try to avoid stranger adoptions at all costs, and I must say that you young men are putting your best feet forward for Teddy here with all of this. I must say that I am overjoyed at the dedication."

If only poor Mr. Cook knew a fraction of it.

But, with a copy of the agreement rolled up in his robes a moment later, that was how Draco found himself signing his name under Potter's. As of 11:48 that brisk Saturday morning in late March, they were legally bound by the Ministry of Magic itself to work together for a little over sixteen months. There was no specific date or deadline for Potter to be approved for full guardianship, leaving the entire arrangement hanging on the rocky hope that Draco and Potter could play nice long enough to keep Teddy from being given to a family of strangers. Little fingers gripped Draco's robes as he signed his name alongside his bitterest rival, reminding him that if it meant keeping Teddy, Draco could make it work.

He had to.


	5. Chapter 5

"You know, Hermione's getting a bit offended she hasn't seen you in a while."

Ron led the way into the lift, Harry sighing behind him. It was three after four, a little more than a week after signing his soul away alongside Malfoy, and Harry was particularly excited to pick up Teddy that afternoon. Ron's brows were raised expectantly at him.

"I know, and I miss seeing her," Harry said. "But with Teddy and dealing with the Care-Seekers and now Malfoy...I just can't really find a lot of time to go see you guys after she gets off work. She could come see me, you know."

"She's wanted to, but you're welcome for stopping her."

"What? Why would I be thanking you?"

Ron snorted. "Because by the time he gets home, sees that mangy cat of hers, eats, and is ready to go bother you, it's well past what you said Teddy's bedtime is. You want an agitated Hermione Granger barging into a baby-sleep zone?"

Harry shuddered. "Absolutely not. He's hard enough to get down as it is."

"Well, there you go. You're welcome."

"Thank you. At least I'll get to see her tonight. I'm hoping I won't be long picking Teddy up from Malfoy's. I know your mum said six, but I'll probably just head right over."

"Fair enough. Why bother going home before at that point?"

"Exactly."

"So," Ron lowered his voice slightly as they stepped off the lift and into the atrium. "How have things been going with Malfoy anyway? Is he behaving himself?"

Harry shrugged, a sign of resignation rather than indifference. "He's been fine. Obnoxious and big-headed as ever, but nothing I could turn him in for to the Care-Seekers. I don't even know if I'd want to at this point. Teddy's been almost back to his normal self since Malfoy's started watching him."

Ron grimaced sympathetically. "That's tough, mate."

"Tell me about it. Malfoy hasn't changed one bit since school, yet he's the only thing that's keeping me from losing Teddy right now. Makes me want to bash my head against a wall."

"Well, I reckon doing that might hurt your praises with the Care-Seekers." Ron snorted. "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Suppose not."

They had reached the Disapparation point. Harry raised a quick hand in farewell and turned on the spot.

There was way more screaming than usual. Harry Apparated directly into the living room, as was his and Malfoy's verbal agreement that it would be easier than answering the door twice a day. But where there was usually minimal mess there was what looked like a literal explosion. Vibrant colors streaked the walls and furniture, seeming to have come from the kitchen. Bits of what looked like metal littered the floor. A light haze hung in the air, settling around the top of the tall ceilings. Teddy's screaming and Malfoy's agitated voice were indistinct, coming from deeper in the flat, their slight echo suggesting the bathroom.

Harry's wand was already out, uncertain of what happened but not liking the look of it.

And of all days.

He swiftly crept toward the bathroom, wand poised to strike. As he approached, he could make out some of Malfoy's words through Teddy's cries:

"Merlin, Teddy, it's just water, I swear...if you had just _listened _to me you wouldn't need a bath...unreasonable reaction...of all the days to be deaf..."

Suddenly less concerned and more curious, Harry lowered his wand a fraction and stepped into the bathroom.

Teddy's screams were far louder in the tiny tiled room.

The bathwater was running, with a black and brown sort of goop sludging down the drain as it slid off a very upset Teddy. Butt naked and red in the face from screaming, Teddy was beyond his limited vocabulary in his distress, simply wailing as tears rolled down his cheeks. Malfoy was crouched at the edge of the tub's basin, a firm grip on one of Teddy's upper arms while the other hand furiously scrubbed the toddler's mud-streaked body.

"What happened?"

Malfoy's head whipped around at Harry's voice, his eyes narrowing in anger at the sight of him. Teddy noticed Harry as well, and his screaming increased.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-WEEEE!" he shrieked, fresh tears falling.

"Oh!" Harry hastily put his wand away and stepped forward, not worrying when he stepped on the back of Malfoy's leg. He grabbed Teddy by the middle and hoisted him into his arms. Soaking wet, generally sticky, and smelling strongly of damp chocolate, Teddy wrapped his arms as tightly around Harry as he possibly could. His screams died down slightly at the contact, and when Harry rubbed the toddler's back gently, the shrill cries turned into gasping sobs.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Pink in the ears, Malfoy was on his feet in seconds. He came nearly nose-to-nose with Harry.

"What am _I_ doing?" Harry asked incredulously. "I'm not the one angrily bathing a screaming baby next to a room that looks like a bomb went off in it! What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Oh, like he's never thrown a tantrum for you, O Chosen One?"

"I don't hold him down and scrub him while he's crying, at least! I try to make sure he's okay before I rub his skin off with a metal scrub pad!"

"It's a washcloth, you bumbling moron!" Malfoy threw his head back and rubbed his eyes angrily. "And he insisted on baking a damn cake about half an hour ago. Everything was fine until he tried to dump in the entire bottle of vanilla and I tried to take it from him. He's at that ridiculous age where kids can't always control their magic, and he literally blew up the cake pan. There was a damn fire, and we're both covered in it, but instead of just letting me clean him up and moving on, he decided to fight me-"

Harry snorted. Listening to Malfoy losing his cool over some cake batter, Harry took the time to see that the prat was right - Malfoy was covered in the same slick brown sludge that filled the bath. Not that Teddy's distress was funny, but Malfoy's complete unraveling at it was more than enough to start Harry's laughter.

"Oh, shut your gob hole, you filthy-"

"Ha-wee?" Teddy gasped, still bordering on sobbing. Harry leaned back slightly to look into his godson's eyes. "I-I-I-I-I-I want-I want-I want-"

"It's alright, Teddy," Harry shushed, rubbing his back more. "It's all good. What do you say we get cleaned up and head to Gramma and Grandad Weasley's?"

Teddy nodded sadly, and Malfoy dramatically rolled his eyes. Feeling triumphant, Harry went to set Teddy back down in the tub.

The triumph only lasted a moment.

As Harry set Teddy back in the basin, Teddy's grip around his neck increased rather suddenly. Off-balanced on the slick bathroom floor just enough, Harry tilted forward and, in his panic to avoid crushing Teddy beneath him, fell directly into the lukewarm, cake-laden water. Teddy released him and landed on his bottom just beside Harry, staring down at him with a wide smile.

Malfoy burst out laughing.

Trying not to drown, Harry rolled onto his back and maneuvered himself into a sitting position next to Teddy. Still in the bath. Fully clothed. The water was as thick as honey.

It had to be the most ridiculous bath Harry had ever taken, heard of, or could have even imagined. Somehow, both drenched in cake batter water and furious, Harry and Malfoy managed to get Teddy bathed and clean. Not wasting time with a towel, Draco magically dried Teddy in Harry's arms, making Teddy giggle uncontrollably. It then took them both to hold down the toddler long enough to wrestle him into some spare clothes that Malfoy thankfully kept at his flat.

Clean, dressed, and happy as could be, Teddy wandered off toward the living room ten minutes later, a hastily dried-off Harry and Malfoy trailing behind.

"Wow, Teddy, you really know how to make a mess," Harry joked as the trio entered the war zone that was Malfoy's usually spotless living room.

Teddy giggled.

Malfoy scowled. "'Know how to make a mess,' indeed," he muttered as he took out his wand.

"D-aco? Hold you?"

Malfoy sighed, looking tired. "Sure. Come here."

Snuggling into Malfoy's stained shirt, Teddy mumbled, "Sorry for mess."

It was wild, watching Malfoy's face transform from sharp and strained to the gentle smile that he reserved for Teddy. Unrecognizable in the most unsettling of ways.

"It's alright, Teddy," Malfoy said. "It was an accident. We'll try again tomorrow, hm?"

"Mmhm."

"For now, though, it's time you got going. I can clean up this mess here. I know you probably have a party to get to."

Teddy's head jerked up, eyes alight. "Party?"

"For your birthday, little one."

Teddy squealed and reached for Harry, lunging into the open air that vastly separate the two men. Harry hurried forward and grabbed the toddler, hands bumping into Malfoy's arms as they both tried to keep Teddy from dropping to the ground.

"Teddy, you've got to stop doing that," Harry chided lightly. "You're going to end up breaking an arm or something."

"Eh, then he'd stop doing it."

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" Harry snapped.

"Da fuck."

"Proud of yourself, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "You ought to watch your language."

Warm in the face, Harry pulled Teddy closer to his chest. "You're sick, Malfoy."

"At least I don't curse in front of children."

"Are you _kidding _me?"

"I have a more refined sense of humor than simply lying to you."

"You've got some nerve-"

"Which is how I've ever gotten anywhere, unlike you and your stupid scar."

"No, what got you places was parading around with Voldemort."

Malfoy took a step back, eyes flashing dangerously. Harry hadn't meant to say it; it just slipped out. It was a hard habit to break, tearing Malfoy down at every opportunity. But as Teddy looked from Harry to Malfoy and back again, eyes wide as confusion began to change to fear, Harry only felt shame.

"I-"

"Save it." Voice like ice and eyes even colder, Malfoy stared daggers into Harry for several seconds before seeming to remember himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath, then visibly relaxed and stepped closer. His Teddy-smile crept across his lips, but his eyes weren't nearly as soft.

"Happy birthday, little one," he said softly, leaning in and pressing his forehead to Teddy's. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye!" Teddy, seeming to believe the tension gone, hugged Malfoy's face. It pulled the three together. Malfoy's shoulder seared against Harry's stomach in what had to be the most uncomfortable human contact he had experienced in years.

Finally releasing Malfoy, Teddy leaned up and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. Snagging the blue backpack from the couch, Harry cleared his throat.

"Well...see you tomorrow, then."

Malfoy didn't reply. Not soon enough for his liking, Harry turned and Disapparated from the luxuriously messy living room.

x-x-x

"Happy birthday!"

The cheers and cries from the cluster of Weasleys and their significant others filled the cluttered kitchen, causing the two candles atop the enormous cake to waver slightly. Teddy looked a bit bashful, grinning shyly as he wiggled in Harry's lap at the table. In the fresh-pressed robes that Mrs. Weasley had from one of Charlie's more recent visits, Harry felt significantly better than when he had hastily escaped Malfoy's flat one hour previous. He wasn't stained with unfinished cake, he was surrounded by his favorite people, and hundreds of miles separated him from Malfoy.

Plus, it was Teddy's second birthday, and he was finally smiling and happy again.

"Blow out your candles, Teddy!" George called.

Teddy leaned forward and blew as hard as he could. Mostly spit came out, dripping onto the cake toppers and mixing with the wax that had fallen onto the icing. Laughter erupted from around the room until finally Harry sneaked a breath out, blowing the flames away. The Weasley crowd clapped. Teddy was beaming, pleased without quite knowing why.

"Alright, alright!" Mrs. Weasley cried, stepping forward with a large serving knife. "Let me through, it's time for cake!"

"Yay!" Teddy squealed.

Mrs. Weasley made quick work of her large double-chocolate cake, slicing it into twenty equal-sized pieces without even trying and taking care that everyone was holding a plate within minutes. While Fleur politely declined allowing Victoire a piece, Harry happily gave Teddy the piece with the most frosting, laughing when Teddy practically smashed his face into it in his haste to taste it.

"He's the cutest little thing," Hermione said, sidling up next to Harry at the table.

"I like to think so, but I'm a bit biased."

Hermione smiled. "Sorry I was almost late. Busy at work, you know."

"You made it. No harm done. Besides, I don't think Teddy would've noticed if someone was late."

"True. He seems to be adjusting well."

Harry shrugged. "I wish it were like this all the time, to be honest," he said, watching Teddy render his earlier bath pointless as he painted himself with frosting. Joy shone in his eyes. Contentedness gave fluidity to his movements, a stark contrast from the unsure, robotic movements he so often had since the Manor accident.

"Well, you can't expect him to not be affected at all," Hermione said gently.

Harry sighed. "I know. I just wish...I just wish he wasn't getting better because Malfoy was in the picture."

"Understandable as that is, I think it's obvious that the benefits are outweighing the...ah..."

"The completely bungled up mess that I'm in, having to see Malfoy every day for the next year and a half?"

"Yes."

Harry chuckled. "I reckon it is, especially when the other option was losing Teddy completely."

"Had you...well..." Hermione bit her lip as she trailed away. Harry felt his stomach flip.

"Had I what?"

"Nevermind," she said hurriedly.

"Hermione..."

"It's just that it's a moot point now-"

"Just ask."

Hermione sighed, leaning back in her chair as she turned to him fully. Harry saw that glimmer in her eyes that he associated with the time she told McGonagall about his Firebolt. Uneasiness squirmed in his middle, souring the cake digesting there.

"Like I said, it's not relevant now that you've signed this contract with Malfoy. But before all that, Ron and I-"

Ron, never one to allow himself to be roped into such matters, cleared his throat pointedly from the other side of the table.

"Oh, alright, _I_ had wondered if maybe...if maybe it might have been better for Teddy to...to be raised by a family with the proper resources to raise him."

Harry's heart stopped. The air was ripped from his lungs. His chest caved in on itself as Hermione continued, cheeks flushing.

"You know I am always here to support you, Harry, and obviously the Care-Seekers were pleased with your parenting skills, but I can't pretend that it hadn't crossed my mind that this past month of not seeing you for myself that it might've been in Teddy's best interest to have the Care-Seekers find him a more stable home."

"I..." But Harry's voice failed him. Fury and terror were rolling over him in waves as the party persisted around him; he was furious that one of the people he trusted most in the world felt he couldn't properly care for Teddy; but he was equally terrified that she was right.

"Harry, I-"

Mrs. Weasley's voice cut over Hermione's. "Time for presents!"

* * *

The second attempt at baking a cake went significantly better than the first one, Draco thought as he pulled a steaming cake pan from the oven. As all his cocoa powder had been used in the first cake, Draco and Teddy had agreed on a simple vanilla flavor with a bright yellow frosting. While they waited for the cake to cool, Draco dumped the ingredients for the frosting into a large bowl and handed Teddy a wooden spoon. For only having just turned two, Teddy wasn't too bad at stirring. Only a little of the mixture splattered on the countertop. When the cake was cooled enough to frost, Draco used his wand to make quicker work of it, then sliced a piece for Teddy.

"Ready to taste all your hard work?"

Teddy stared at the plate set before him. Sunflower-yellow frosting as requested atop a perfectly-cooked cake. Looking back up at Draco with a smile, Teddy shook his head.

"Ah...sorry?"

"No tank you."

"Wh-bu-" Draco groaned. "Teddy, would you like this cake or not?"

"No tank you."

"But we spent two days and used half the pantry working on this!"

Teddy's smile fell. "No. No cake."

"Aghh!" Draco rubbed his temples. "Really, Teddy?"

"Egg, pease? Egg, D-aco?"

And so, with a perfectly fine cake taking up a large chunk of his counterspace and his frustrations, Draco quickly fried an egg and toasted some bread for them both.

"Teddy, I'm back!"

"Ha-wee!" Teddy squealed, leaping out of his chair and barreling into the living room just as Draco was setting his new plate in front of him. Holding back a scowl, Draco followed Teddy out to the living room.

Potter was hugging Teddy by the middle, the little boy's feet dangling in the air. "Good day?"

"Yes!" Teddy squeaked. "Cake!"

Potter shot a glare over the toddler's head. "You had cake? Just now?"

"Cake! Cake!"

Draco returned Potter's annoyed look with a smile.

"Do you have any idea how hard he's going to be to put down now?"

"I have a better idea than you'd think."

Potter rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to Teddy. "Why don't you say goodbye?"

"Bye, D-aco!"

"Bye, little one."

With a final grimace, Potter turned on the spot and Disapparated. Draco let his shoulders and smirk fall, dropping his chin to his chest with a sigh. It was exhausting, watching Teddy full time and irritating Potter every chance he had in addition to putting in forty hours or more at the Apothecary each week. He no longer had any days off. Technically, he was off from the Apothecary on Monday afternoons, but that time was carefully filled with the worst kind of torture.

Groaning, Draco moved to the bathroom to wash his face, removing his shirt along the way. The cool water refreshed him, giving his energy a lift. He dried his face and pulled on a clean set of robes. He was leaving a bit early, but Draco Disapparated from his flat just as the clock hand shifted to 4:36.

Due to the popularity of Diagon Alley's brick wall entrance behind the Leaky Cauldron, a dark alleyway across the street was arranged to be the main Apparation point for it. Draco strode from the smelly alley ten seconds later, taking care to watch for muggle cars as he crossed the road.

Having grown up using the Floo Network to enter the shopping district, Draco had nearly been flattened by a double decker muggle bus just before his first shift at the apothecary. A passing muggle man had noticed the danger and tore Draco from the street at the last second. The passing..._vehicle_, Draco learned that day, had stirred their hair with it's proximity. If that hadn't alarmed Draco enough to be more careful in the future, the absolutely panic-stricken face on the muggle that had saved him did.

But presently, Draco pushed open the door to the Leaky Cauldron, having safely crossed the street.

"Afternoon, Mr. Malfoy." Tom, the ancient barman, waved as Draco walked into the dingy bar.

"Afternoon."

"Straight to work, or would you like some wine?"

The creaking clock above the bar read 4:37.

Draco nodded, dropping onto one of the stools at the bar. "I have the time."

"Nettle?"

"Yes, sir."

Much of Draco's Monday afternoons were spent rehearsing these sorts of interactions, but when real-life application arose, he often found himself performing at less-than-desired levels. He could have been more polite, more modest, more something or the other. But as Tom had grown accustomed to Draco's attempts at polite conversation, the old barman simply nodded and poured his wine in a crystalline glass without further comment.

As he often did, Draco noticed how badly Tom's hands shook as he slid the drink across the bartop. The wizard had to be over a hundred years old now; he had been the Leaky Cauldron barman for as long as anyone could remember. Who would take over the famous bar front for Diagon Alley when Tom finally did pass?

A few years ago, Draco would have sneered that Weasley might fantasize about such a 'glamorous' lifestyle as a dingy small business owner. But as the dimwitted sidekick was halfway through successfully becoming an actual Auror, Weasley seemed like he actually would be going somewhere in this life. Meanwhile, Draco was struggling to make ends meet while working himself to death in a potions shop.

Draco threw back the glass of wine after a few dignified sips. He needed to stop thinking and get to work.

The main Apothecary shop was as it always had been - worn and weathered, with a great sense of experience. Draco strode through the front doors, bell chiming as he pushed through. The shop was empty, as it typically was that time of day and year. Draco stepped behind the counter and made his way to Lloyd's office in the back.

Lloyd Even was a man of nearing 55 years, balding and awkwardly brilliant in all things ingredients. He had run the Apothecary for nearly three straight decades. Although his reputation labeled him as the man to give when he had nothing, Lloyd had been a hard man for Draco to win over.

After the war and several different hearings and private trials, Draco had been acquitted of all his crimes under two conditions. One was that he had to work in a Ministry-assigned job for a minimum of forty fours per week for a minimum of eighteen months, a mandatory aspect of the Ministry's new Criminal Reformation Project. It was an idealistic proposition by the Order of the Phoenix after the war to 'reintegrate those lost in the criminal system into positive and goal-driven society.' The second condition was his Monday afternoons.

Draco would have liked to think that his assignment to the Apothecary was due to his great skill and natural talent for potion-making. Far more likely, Draco realized after working under the man for several weeks, Lloyd was probably the only employer that agreed to take him.

Not that he had made it easy on Draco. It was only after a rather maddening four months of being treated like an escaped convict with no common sense that Draco finally seemed to gain the esteemed Mr. Lloyd Even's trust. And after working tirelessly without complaint or incident for over a year, Draco could honestly say that he and the older man got on quite well.

"Afternoon," Lloyd greeted Draco as he stepped into the office. He was reading a long scroll on the desk before him. "Big order here. Now that the after-Easter exams are done, Hogwarts is running low on basically everything. Mind seeing to that tonight? Should be quiet as far as foot traffic goes."

"I think I can manage that."

Lloyd nodded and stood to shuffle around the desk, his large belly knocking a few things amiss. He patted Draco's arm. "I'm off. Good evening."

"What's the hurry?"

"I've got a date."

"Oh?"

Lloyd chuckled through his nose, looking sheepish. "Yeah. Haven't seen many witches...any, really, since Emily passed all those years ago. But my kids, especially Bene, think it's time I 'got out there,' whatever that nonsense means."

"Well, it's probably good for you. I wouldn't know."

"You ought to. If I have to take strange witches out to dinner, someone else ought to as well." Lloyd stepped in the doorway and quirked a brow at Draco. "Surely a handsome young wizard like yourself could find a bird to grow old with?"

A self-depreciating chuckle preceded Draco's reply. "I'm flattered, Lloyd. But any chance I had at a love life was dimmed by my criminal record."

"Fair enough. At least you've got your cousin now, right? How's that arrangement with Harry Potter going?"

"Alright, I suppose."

"That bad?"

"No, really," Draco said, trying not to sound too defensive. "I...no, it's not what I'd call ideal, having to put up with - I mean, having to...to share Teddy, but having some legal rights to him is better than what could have been."

"Aye, and maybe being in this with Harry Potter will have some good impact on that image of yours. Make room for that witch you're needing." Lloyd laughed to himself, waving as he walked out into the shop. "I've really got to go now. Owl if you need me."

"I shall."

The bell chimed as Lloyd exited the shop, leaving Draco to freely doubt that even the technical contact with Potter would affect how anyone would see him. The scars of his past were too deep. If anything, their shared custody was far more likely to boost Potter's image as a humble do-gooder. To associate with such riffraff as Draco Malfoy for the sake of a poor little orphan boy was what good journalism was made of. No one in their right mind would think that Draco was a better person, regardless of the company he kept.

The thought irritated Draco more than he cared to admit.


	6. Chapter 6

The warming spring air of late April slapped Draco in the face as he frantically escaped-

Left. As Draco left the off-site office, he took a deep breath of fresh air to steady himself. Mondays were definitely his least favorite day of the week. But at least it was over. It wasn't quite dinner time, leaving Draco plenty of downtime before it was a reasonable hour to call the day through.

Far from ideal.

The office wasn't but a couple blocks from the Leaky Cauldron. Despite firm requests not to, Draco felt he had earned a drink or two. Maybe more. A few minutes later, he stepped into the bar.

"Happy Monday, Mr. Malfoy," Tom rasped. He was already pouring Draco's preferred wine when he reached the bar. "Alright tonight?"

"And a Firewhiskey," Draco said stiffly as he sat down. "Please."

Brows rising up his withered old head, the barman complied. Were manners so foreign coming from Draco that it warranted such a look over a simple 'please'? He downed the Firewhiskey in one gulp.

"Tough day, mm?"

Hoarse from the burning in his throat, Draco shook his head. "Absolutely not. Fine day."

"You needn't lie to a barman, son. I've heard worse, I promise you."

"Look who you're talking to, old man."

Tom shrugged, not at all put off by Draco's sharp tone. "Still true."

Draco shook his head again before dropping it into his hands, elbows propped on the counter.

"You've been comin' in here a lot this past year," Tom said after a moment. "Not quite the same boy you were then today. Whatever you've got doin', it's payin' off."

"It's absolute bullshit," Draco muttered to the countertop.

Tom barked out a laugh. "It really ain't. But it'll be worth it in the end, you'll see."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one being 'reformed' like there's something wrong with everything about you."

"Well, there is a lot wrong with you, son. At least as far as paperwork goes. And you know how much the Ministry loves their paperwork."

"Why couldn't I just not have been raised to be a twit?"

"Can't choose our past. Just our present. Sometimes our future."

Draco groaned and lifted his head to finally look at Tom. "You sound like a motivational banner."

"There's a sayin' that you don't need therapy if you just talk to the barman."

"I dare say it's cheaper." Draco drank his wine. It slithered down his throat, calming the Firewhiskey residue there. When he'd swallowed half his glass, Draco set it back down. "I fear that this will be my forever. I can't...I can't be a miserable potions shop worker the rest of my life."

"Then don't be miserable."

Sighing, Draco drained his wine. "How could anyone expect to be happy where I am?" he asked as Tom refilled his glass.

"Plenty are. There are a lot more that might even envy you for the security. Regular money, somethin' to do durin' the day."

"Merlin's beard...are you paid to find the best in everything?"

"Nah. Just tryin' to keep you straight, kid. You've come a long way. Even said 'please' today." The barman winked. "Makin' strides, you are."

Draco scoffed lightly as he drank. "Maybe the Ministry's wrong," he said softly. "Maybe some criminals can't be reformed."

"Oh, there are loads that can't be," Tom said, leaning on the bar and fixing Draco with a fierce look. "But you're not one of them. You're just a boy. Just an unfortunate product of your raisin'."

"Uh..."

"I mean it as a compliment. Bad wizards turn out bad because they're made that way. If you aren't shown how the light is a good thing, why would you be afraid of the dark, you see?"

Emotion stirred in Draco's chest. Of all the times he had spoken to Tom, all the Mondays he had hurriedly demanded drinks to drown his thoughts, Draco had rarely paid the old wizard much notice. Why should he? He was a service, not someone you spoke to for life advice.

It seemed there were no bounds with how many things Draco had wrong in his head.

"I...appreciate it."

"Don't mention it."

"Knowing me, I won't."

Tom laughed. "Now get outta my bar. I know you got an early day tomorrow." Draco reached for his pocket, but Tom waved his hand at him. "Nah, tonight's on the house. Get out."

Not quite knowing what to say, Draco nodded and stood. His step was quite sure though his head was pleasantly fuzzy, and it was with an unfamiliar sense of assuredness in his soul that Draco Apparated into his flat and made his way to bed. Perhaps the ancient barman with no teeth had some merit. He made points Draco had heard many a Monday, but somehow they sounded more realistic coming from a wizened old wizard named Tom.

Maybe it was just the alcohol.

Or maybe his psychotherapy was finally working.

x-x-x

"Teddy, start picking up your things, please," Draco called from the kitchen. "I need a few things from the market and won't have time after you leave. So let's get a move on, shall we?"

A small hum of what could be taken as agreement came from across the flat. Draco put the last of the dishes back in the cabinet. Sure that Teddy wasn't listening to him, Draco made his way back to the second bedroom.

After almost six weeks of Teddy, the bedroom had transformed. On the walls now hung a multitude of toddler art - smeared paintings, scribbled drawings, attempts at cut-out creatures, and one memorable clay sculpture that sat atop a small floating shelf. The toddler bed was adorned in basic sheets for Teddy's naps, and the bookshelf was beginning to fill. Four small baskets of assorted toys and a fair amount of children's books that Draco couldn't keep from buying gave the room some life for Teddy to enjoy.

In the center of the room, surrounded by miniature creature and animal figurines that moved on their tiny stands, was Teddy. Laid out on his stomach, head down, and fast asleep as though he had fallen unconscious in the middle of playing.

"Oh, Teddy..."

Sighing fondly, Draco bent over the boy and carefully scooped him into his arms. Teddy murmured feebly as he was carried to his bed, but the moment Draco laid him among the rumpled sheets, Teddy twisted and snuggled deep into the pillow. Draco pulled a discarded blanket over Teddy and gave his temple a gentle kiss before leaving the room.

He could go to the market another day.

There was a swift knock at the door then. Frowning, Draco made to answer it. Who could possibly want to visit with him?

But there wasn't anyone at the door when Draco opened it. Instead, he saw a short man in black robes moving further down the corridor, seeming to attach something to the flat doors as he passed with identical knocks to the one Draco just answered. Bemused, Draco checked the front side of his door. A thick leaflet was lightly stuck there with some sort of manual adhesive.

Officially confused, as a simple Sticking Charm would have done the same thing, Draco took the leaflet back into his flat. As he closed the door behind him, he looked over the front. Embossed onto the thick parchment was:

**BATTLE OF HOGWARTS REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY**

Oh no.

This was what his therapist, a young healer named Oscar Chase, had been torturing him over the evening before.

"The anniversary is coming up," he had said, showing off his too-white smile. "This would be a great experience for you to see just how far you've come for yourself!"

But there was no way Draco could attend. There was absolutely no way that he was going to trot into the remembrance ceremony of a battle of which he very openly fought on the wrong side. It was the epitome of disaster for Draco. Everything he feared, hated, and repressed, all rolled into one enormous, society-wide escapade that required dress robes and a perfectly molded somber face. Blood draining away into the darkest reaches of his soul, Draco's hands shook as he unfolded the leaflet.

**to be held on  
****Tuesday, the second of May  
****at no earlier than  
****10 o'clock in the morning  
****to be held at  
****Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**Attire to be formal  
****Food provided by  
****the Hogwarts house elves  
****Live music performance by  
****the London Wandstring Orchestra  
****Expected appearances by**

Draco stopped there, sure that the long list of influential witches and wizards that followed was an impressive one. His breath was caught, though, burning his chest as his lungs struggled against the miscommunications Draco's body seemed to be having.

He couldn't.

Certainly he wasn't invited anyway. This was a blanket flyer. It was mass distributed and not even by magic. The wizard shuffling down the corridor likely didn't even know Draco lived there.

With a forced cough to get his lungs functioning properly again, Draco set the leaflet on the nearest bookshelf. He'd deal with that later. Possibly never.

"Hey, Ted-"

"Shh!" Draco nearly jumped out of his skin at Potter's sudden booming voice directly behind him. He hadn't even heard the crack of him Apparating, but nothing could hide that trollish bark.

Potter stared at Draco as he turned, eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"What in Merlin's name are you even doing here?" Draco hissed. "It's not even three o'clock!"

"Why do I have to be quiet?"

"Because he's taking a nap, you absolute-"

"Why couldn't you just say that?"

Draco groaned, rubbing his temples. "Leave it to you to give me a migraine in less than thirty seconds, Potter. What are you even doing here so early? Did the Ministry come to its senses and boot you?"

"We had an early day," Potter said with a quick rise of his shoulder. "What's got your knickers in a bunch today? You're more shrill than usual."

"Oh, I didn't realize trying to keep a huge buffoon from waking an exhausted toddler was considered being 'shrill.'"

"It's not _why_ you're being a pain in the arse, it's your stupid voice."

What Draco would give to curse Potter directly in that fat forehead of his. "Get the fuck out of my flat, Potter. You're not expected back until after four."

Potter's eyes changed from leering to angry in record time. "You don't get to decide when I can and can't pick up my godson."

"You pick him up every day at four; why should today be any different?"

"Because I'm off work!"

"He's _asleep_!"

"You're just being a git because he'd be glad to wake up for me."

Draco ground his teeth and turned away, eyes catching sight of the invitation. "Don't be so childish."

"Like that isn't the name of your game."

"Will you just stop?" Draco snapped.

"Why? Stressed, Malfoy?" Potter sneered.

It was too much. Potter had spelled the mark precisely, and Draco's anxieties were beyond his control after receiving that bloody invitation. Not even bothering to grab his wand from the end table a few feet away, Draco whipped around and swung to strike Harry fucking Potter in the face with his bare fist. In a surprisingly swift movement, Potter's hand met Draco's between them, fingers wrapping around the fist and shoving Draco backward.

He had absolutely not expected Potter to be freakishly strong.

In a blink, Draco found himself smacking into the wall with Potter's arm shoved in his chest. The pressure was great, and it took Draco a moment to realize that Potter's wand tip was an inch from his nose.

His surprise must have shown, because after a moment, Potter asked, "Did you forget I'm training to be an Auror?"

"What, like that's supposed to impress me?" Draco spat.

"You couldn't beat me in a fair fight and you fucking know it."

"If the fight has to be fair for you to win, you weren't the better wizard anyway."

Potter scowled. Though he dropped his wand, Potter's arm continued to hold Draco firm. "Your dueling skills are pathetic enough regardless. You couldn't best anyone if your life depended on it."

"I bested _Albus Dumbledore_, you idiot."

"Only because he was brave enough to take pity on your sorry arse."

"By design, Potter. I was the one chosen to execute Dumbledore for that very reason."

"You were _sentenced_ to kill Dumbledore," Potter hissed, leaning closer. "And you _failed_."

"Maybe because I'm not as evil as you've always made me out to be!" Without meaning to, Draco's voice faltered. All those hours being forced to sift through his deepest emotions and shortcomings crept out, lacing his words with the thinly veiled depression there. "Maybe I was caught on the wrong side of things, swept up in something I couldn't escape! You think I wanted to end up where I did?"

"I-" Potter blinked, brows knitting together. "What the fuck, of course you did! All that talk about muggleborns before Voldemort's return and after-"

"Oh, your stupidity is only matched by your ignorance, Potter! I will not-" Draco shifted and felt Potter's arm still bracing him against the wall. "Get off me." Reaching up to plant both hands on Potter's chest, Draco all but threw him several feet back. With two great strides, Draco snatched his wand from the end table and pointed it at Potter. The wand hummed in his hand. "Your narrow-mindedness about me is what will get us in trouble and cost us both Teddy," he snarled.

Potter's wand was raise in an instant. "Narrow-mindedness?" he cried. "You want to talk about narrow-mindedness, what about all your swagger around school, calling half the school Mudbloods and cheering when the Chamber of Secrets opened?"

Sparks erupted from Draco's wand with the power of his frustrations as he shouted, "WHAT ELSE DID I KNOW? You think I saw any of my muggle-sympathetic family members growing up? You think I didn't ask why I wasn't allowed to speak with certain people? You think I wasn't caned if I didn't stick my nose up at those that weren't pureblooded? You think my father didn't beat me within an inch of my life anytime I was caught being kind to anything or anyone that wasn't approved?"

Potter just stared at him. His wand remained pointing at Draco, steady as ever.

But the dam had shattered. Draco couldn't stop now. "You think I was just born thinking these things? You think attempting to _kill Albus Dumbledore_ just happens?

"It's easy for you, thrown up on a pedestal and given all the love and support to do the right thing you could possibly ask for! Where would the wizarding world be if their great saviour Harry Potter had been given to the Malfoys instead of some muggles? Where would the champion of muggleborns be if he had the same superiority complex literally beaten into him everyday for _ten fucking years_?"

Potter's mouth fell open.

"And do you think I was just acquitted of my crimes, Potter? You want to know what I've had to do every week for the past eighteen months almost, what I'll have to continue doing for another year and a half still?" A slightly manic, definitely forced laugh punctured the air between them. "You'll fucking love it - I have to go to a psychotherapist who is attempting to undo nearly two decades of what he's calling child abuse that landed me in all this shit in the first place!

"So yes, O Chosen One, I think you'll find me _stressed_. Having to grind through my entire fucking childhood with a wizard whose job it is to go through those memories and point out why everything in them is _wrong_ every damn week while trying to maintain a level of stability to keep a hold of the only thing worth living for in my life from being taken away from me is causing me a fine bit of _stress_."

The silence that filled the flat was only second in volume to the moment after the Dark Lord's final death. Draco stood there in the tension, feeling distinctly unraveled. A beat passed before Potter's wand finally dropped completely. Draco was breathing heavy. All he could do was return the stare Potter was giving him, blank and a little shell-shocked.

Then came a crack.

Both Draco and Potter looked to the small hallway entrance off the living room and saw Teddy. His eyes were impossibly wide and wet, and he was very clearly shaking as he clung to his elephant with white knuckles. Beside him, the wall had splintered from the toddler's unchecked magic. Draco had never seen him so frightened.

And Draco had never felt so much guilt.

In the same moment, Draco and Potter moved to comfort Teddy. But Teddy flinched so violently away from Draco that he bumped into the door frame. His lips quivered and he hurried into Potter's open arms, burying his face into his chest.

The Cruciatus Curse hadn't hurt as much as that.

With a fresh swell of shame, Draco realized that of course Teddy would be terrified of him now; the boy had never seen Draco so much as raise his voice before. Seeing what was likely the bulk of Draco and Potter's row, Teddy likely just witnessed one of his favorite people turn into a monster before his eyes.

Thanks to Healer Chase, Draco knew better than most the impact that could have on a young mind.

"It's alright, Teddy, everything is okay," Potter was shushing into Teddy's ear. His hand rubbed the little back gently as his eyes found Draco's. There was nauseating intimacy there, a new level of understanding that neither of them wanted. But with his loss of control, Draco had metaphorically grabbed Potter and bodily thrown him over the line and there was no going back.

"Why..." Teddy's voice cracked. "Why yell? Push D-aco? Why D-aco mean?"

Potter's eyes flickered over to Draco. The poor fool looked lost. "He...he wasn't being mean, Teddy," Potter said softly. "He was just...we were arguing, that's all. I shouldn't have pushed him and we shouldn't have been yelling. But...but we're okay now. Everything is okay now. We're done."

"Wanna go home, pease. Pease, Ha-wee?"

Draco closed his eyes.

"You ought to say goodbye first."

Draco looked up with a frown to find Potter determinedly not looking at him. Teddy glanced over at Draco. His eyes were still wide, his lips were still drawn tight. Much as he wanted to rush across the space that separated them and embrace the child with all he had left, Draco stayed still. He wasn't about to force Teddy to do something that made him more frightened than he already was.

But what if he refused to say goodbye?

What if he refused to come back?

Draco cleared his throat. "I'm not mad at _you_, Teddy."

"Not Teddy?"

"Of course not."

"Mad...at Ha-wee?"

Fucking livid. But for reasons only a toddler could have, Teddy liked Potter. "Yes, but...not anymore. Everything is fine now."

A lot was processing in those baby blue eyes. Teddy blinked several times and bit his lip as he tried to make sense of Draco's and Potter's assurances. Finally, after an endlessly hung moment, Teddy reached for Draco.

Chest aching at the sight, he took the boy into his arms and hugged him fiercely. Draco felt a single tear sting the corner of his eye.

"I'm so sorry, little one," he whispered into Teddy's shoulder. "I didn't mean to scare you. I...I never want to frighten you. You know I love you very much, yes?"

Teddy nodded his head against Draco's chest. A miniscule amount of the tension in Draco left him. Exhaling, Draco kissed Teddy's head and offered him back to Potter.

There was a very still moment once Potter shifted Teddy more comfortably onto his hip. Teddy curled into the contact deeper, but Potter's eyes rested on Draco for several moments too long. It was when Potter opened his mouth as if to say something that Draco decided it had gone on long enough. He turned on his heel and hurried into his kitchen, leaving Potter to Disapparate away with Teddy alone.

* * *

There was a list as tall as a dragon of things that Harry dreaded, but the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts was without a doubt somewhere among the top few. He was already sweating under his black dress robes and the ceremonies hadn't even begun.

"Honestly, Ginny, you should have at least worn your hair down," Mrs. Weasley fretted from somewhere behind Harry. "You look far too severe with it pulled back like that."

"It's not my job to look soft, Mum."

"That's not the point. This is a remembrance ceremony, we are all to look our best-"

Mr. Weasley's voice cut in. "Molly, she looks beautiful. Let her wear her hair as she pleases. Plenty of other witches have their hair off their shoulders."

Harry glanced back. Ginny, looking exasperated on her mother's right, was two rows directly behind him. She did look quite nice. All the sun from playing for the Hollyhead Harpies had given her a permanently sun-kissed look, something she wore quite well. But as Ginny caught is eye and grinned, Harry was reminded that things were different between them now. Much as they both had wanted to rekindle was they had before the war, neither Harry nor Ginny had been able to continue their relationship. It just wasn't the same. _They_ weren't the same.

A sharp elbow dug into Harry's thigh then, jolting him back to the present.

"Teddy, stop that," he hissed, grabbing his godson by his upper arms and moving him back into the chair beside him. "You can't get down right now. We have to stay in our chairs."

"Wanna stand, Ha-wee."

"I know you do, but-"

"You ought to let him," Hermione said from his other side. "Otherwise, he's just going to keep getting up."

"I suppose you have a point..." Harry turned back to Teddy. "Okay, you can stand, but you have to stay right here. No running off, you hear me?"

Beaming, Teddy slithered off his chair and began to wiggle at Harry's knee. Harry nudged him.

"Did you hear me, Teddy?"

"Uhm...no."

"You have to stay here. You can't go wandering off, okay?"

"Okay, Ha-wee." And the toddler promptly dropped to his bottom and began sifting his fingers through the grass.

Harry sighed. Things were difficult enough without having to worry about Teddy. Although only the second one, the Battle of Hogwarts Remembrance Ceremonies were among the hardest things Harry had to endure. Being back at Hogwarts, seeing the castle even at a distance, smelling the grounds, catching glimpses of the lake, the Quidditch pitch, seeing the Forbidden Forest surrounding them...ghostly impressions of the destruction that had taken place overlaid the happy memories that fought to the surface of his thoughts. Dark creatures growled under his feet as he played his first game of Quidditch, curses soared overhead at a holiday feast, lifeless bodies lay in the snow of a fourth-year snowball fight...

"These things will get easier, these ceremonies," Hermione said softly after a moment. "Won't they?"

"I hope so," Ron said from her other side. "Otherwise, I'm not going to keep coming to them."

"At least last year we had an excuse to duck out early," Harry said wistfully. "With Fleur having Victoire, we only had to stay an hour or two, remember?"

"Doubt we'll get so lucky this year."

"Shh!" Hermione said suddenly. "I think they're about to start."

Harry looked up at the large platform that had been constructed on the Hogwarts grounds. Indeed, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the most suitable Minister of Magic Harry had known so far, was striding across the stage toward a podium at the center.

Show time.

As Kingsley made his way through the opening speech, Harry tried his best to both keep an eye on Teddy at his feet and look incredibly solemn and attentive toward the stage. Although there were no flashes, camera clicks littered the light applause that followed Kingsley's speech. Even as the first speaker, the father of one of the younger victims, took Kingsley's place, the few journalists allowed to document the ceremonies continued to snap photos.

Harry rubbed his eyes, feeling older than he was. Teddy turned to face him, lip between his teeth as he studied his godfather.

"Ha-wee okay?" Teddy asked, absolutely not whispering. His voice carried over the speaker's story, and Harry could feel hundreds of eyes fall onto him.

"Shhh!" Harry leaned down to Teddy. "You have to whisper, Teddy."

"Ha-wee okay?" Teddy asked again. At least he was whispering.

Harry nodded. "Yes, just...this is a sad ceremony."

"Sad?"

"Yes. We're...everyone here...we're...we're remembering people who are gone. People we miss."

"Like D-aco?"

"Er..." Harry glanced at Hermione, hoping for some help. She ran an anxious hand through her hair once, then leaned forward as well.

"Not quite like Draco," she whispered to Teddy. "Draco's still around; you see him everyday. We're remembering those who have...gone forever. Like...like your Mamie and Aunt Narcissa."

Teddy tilted his head. "Here?"

"No, they're not here," Hermione said gently. "That's what we're doing here, though. Remembering them and missing them. All together."

For a moment, it appeared as if Teddy understood. He nodded, looking thoughtful, and Hermione sat back in her chair. Harry was about to do the same, relieved sigh already inhaled, when it happened.

Teddy completely lost it.

Abruptly, without warning, and extremely penetrating, a full-bodied wail burst from the toddler's mouth. His eyes screwed shut and his cheeks flushed and Harry watched as Teddy's sandy brown hair swiftly dyed itself the deeper brown that once hung on Andromeda.

The speaker stopped.

"Shhh, Teddy, shhh!" Harry frantically dropped to his knees and drew the sobbing child into his chest, rubbing his back hastily. Hundreds of eyes were on them again and Harry hadn't a clue what to do.

Thankfully and as always, Hermione did. "_Silencio_," she said with a quick wave of her wand. Teddy's wails were cut off instantly. Somehow, the quiet that was born from the charm was louder.

Face hotter than the sun above him, Harry stood with Teddy and left. The looks were like physical unwanted caresses on his back. The sea of mourners was in the largest opening of the grounds, thankfully closest to a side courtyard that Harry remembered entered the castle just south of the kitchens. Just as he broke free of the final rows of chairs, a camera clicked, and the gawking spell was broken. Sounding as though nothing had interrupted him, the speaker continued amid the rising camera clicks that were documenting the scene Harry Potter and his godson had just made.

Not wanting to draw more attention to himself by entering the castle with a screaming child, Harry stopped in the courtyard at the large wooden door that led inside. The speaker's voice was still intelligible though distant; hopefully the perfect distance to handle Teddy without interrupting.

Harry lifted the Silencing Charm.

Fresh shrieks washed over him as Teddy's sobs regained volume. Tears were streaming down his chubby cheeks and his body quaked with each gasp for breath.

"Shhh, Teddy, I'm here, I'm here. Shhh, it's alright."

"Wa-wa-wa-want-want-want Mamie!" A nearby bench cracked in half.

"I know you do. I'm sorry, Teddy," Harry closed his eyes at the surge of emotion, thinking of Teddy's grief, of all they had all lost. "I'm so sorry."

"Is..."

The soft voice startled Harry, mostly due to the fact that he hadn't realized just how much Teddy had already quieted down. He looked up from their dark corner of the courtyard and saw Malfoy standing a few meters away. Looking uncomfortable, he cleared his throat.

"...everything alright?"

"D-aco!"

All the horribly sarcastic replies that sprang to Harry's mind were lost to the raw need in Teddy's voice. He reached his arms out to Malfoy, who quickly walked over and brought Teddy into his arms, embracing him tightly. Harry tried not to grimace at the comfort that he wished he could have given Teddy.

But as Teddy's shoulders stilled after a few moments, Harry felt his frustrations ebb. Teddy had been through enough without the last two people he had constantly being at each other's throats. Teddy didn't deserve to deal with such apprehension when it was plain to see just how much he loved them both. How much Harry and Malfoy each meant to him.

"I, er...I'm surprised you're here," Harry said awkwardly.

"And why shouldn't I be?"

"Maybe because you were a Death Eater at the time?"

Teddy whined and drew his knees into his and Malfoy's chests. It was only then that Harry realized how scathing he had become in a matter of seconds. Making sure his agitation was in check first, he began, "Look-"

"Potter-"

They both broke off. Teddy whimpered once more but didn't lift his head from Malfoy's shoulder. Harry wouldn't be surprised if he was falling asleep. Malfoy sighed.

"I know I'm the last person you wanted to be watching Teddy," Malfoy began. His voice was the calmest Harry had ever heard it. Not a trace of malice or arrogance. "But the fact is that we're both legally part of his life...at least for the time being. But a lot happens in a year with kids...I don't want-I don't think it's ideal for Teddy to think that how we treat each other is...is..."

"Normal?"

Malfoy nodded. "Or even right. I've..." He smiled wryly. "I've come to realize this past year just the kind of long-term impacts childhood experiences can have on adult choices. I...I don't want that for Teddy."

"That's exactly what I was going to say."

"Oh, did your psychotherapist say the same thing?"

"Not like that," Harry chuckled. "I meant...I don't want us having a row twice a day being the only real example of how people treat each other. We ought to make more of an effort to be nice."

"I agree. I'm willing to make it work if you are." Malfoy looked up then, eyes making contact with Harry's. Fierce but tired, the surrounding skin wrinkled from worries unknown, those pale eyes bore into him with a vague challenge, a hint of a plea. Harry felt as though on the edge of an impossibly high ledge, very close to falling into the abyss.

But just below Malfoy's eyes was the back of Teddy's head, a mop of hair that had returned to its original color. Resolve grew from the sight, and Harry nodded. He didn't have to fall into the abyss. He could slowly climb down.

"I'm willing, too."

And that was that.


	7. Chapter 7

"Again!"

"Teddy, we've read this book a hundred times. Can we please read something else? Anything else?"

"Again, pease?"

Draco groaned. "Sure."

Of all the books Potter had for Teddy (although it was far more likely that the amount of books Teddy had was due to Granger), Draco hated the one they were currently reading the most. It was a simple children's book on shapes and colors, which would be boring enough without it also being a muggle publication. The colors didn't flow through all the shades, the shapes didn't dance around, and the words didn't wiggle across the page like in the children's books Draco had bought Teddy. But the absolute abomination of a book was the toddler's favorite, it seemed, and Draco was about to faint with boredom. He flipped the little board book over to the front, opened to the first page, and began to read.

"This is a red circle."

"Wed cuh-cle."

"Right. And this," he said, turning the page. "is a yellow square."

"Wewwow sqah."

"Mhm. And this-" He turned the page. "-is a blue triangle."

"Boo tra-nong."

"Close enough. This is a green rectangle."

"Geen tangle."

"And this is an orange star."

"No-ige stah."

"Purple diamond."

"Pup-leh d...d..."

"Diamond."

"Dim-end."

Draco turned to the final page. "And this is a-"

With a loud crack, Potter Apparated at Draco's feet at the other end of the couch. With a squeal of delight, Teddy launched himself out of Draco's arms to tackle his godfather to the ground.

"-pink oval," Draco finished as he watched the commotion. When it was obvious that Teddy was quite distracted, Draco quickly stuffed the book into Teddy's little backpack and zipped it closed.

"What's that about?"

Draco looked up and found Potter with his brows raised and mouth twisted into a strange grin. Standing up and offering out the backpack, Draco said, "I've read that thing a _lot_ today."

Potter snickered as he took the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Why'd you even buy him a muggle book in the first place?" Draco asked, teeth gritted in his attempt to keep the accusation out of his voice.

"Well," Potter began, then he set Teddy back on the ground and spoke to him. "Could you go get your shoes, please?" Once having seen the boy disappear into the kitchen, Potter looked back at Draco. "Lupin and Tonks would've wanted Teddy to know both worlds. Tonk's dad was muggleborn, and they named Teddy after him. I think...I think it would've been important to them."

"Ah."

Admittedly, Draco hadn't thought of Teddy's lost family members as often as he could have. Lupin and his wife were hardly what he would even call acknowledged in his social circle before their deaths. He had known, of course, that Andromeda married a muggleborn; it was the entire reason she had been wiped from their family long before he had been born.

But things were different now. Draco understood the importance Potter felt in the matter. The realization made the ground sway minutely beneath him.

"Well, be that as it may," Draco said, "I still want to know why, of all the muggle books that are likely out there, you had to get Teddy the most mindless one available. I can't even think straight anymore. All I can think about are orange stars and pink ovals."

Potter laughed, although nowhere near as mean-spirited as it once was. Since their agreement to behave more for Teddy's sake a few weeks previous, it was undeniable that tensions were changing between them. The initial week and a half after the Remembrance Ceremonies had been a strange dance on eggshells for all three of them; Draco cringed inwardly as he remembered his and Potter's oddly high-pitched voices and forced conversations during that time. Even Teddy had known something was off in every exchange.

But things became easier; here they were, laughing about a ridiculous muggle children's book together.

"Ready to go?" Potter asked, bringing Draco back to the present.

"Bye, D-aco!"

Draco smiled and waved. "Bye, little one. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

The moment Teddy and Potter Disapparated, Draco let his smile fall. It was 4:28.

Half an hour later, after splashing the coldest water he could draw from the tap onto his face and pulling on some navy robes, Draco stood outside the derelict building that housed his weekly torture. It was a St. Mungo's affiliate where all the mental health needs for the country's wizarding population were addressed, about twenty kilometers from the main hospital. All one needed was their wand and they could walk directly through the barricaded door and into the office.

Draco's boots were silent on the expensive carpet as he walked up to the reception desk. Glass separated him from behind the counter, a fact that made Draco wonder every week if there was a particular story behind the need.

The witch behind the glass was named Gemma. Devastatingly beautiful and hopelessly pleasant, Gemma had been in the year below Draco but in Hufflepuff. She knew exactly who he was, who he had been, yet Gemma had treated him with nothing but optimistic kindness since his first session.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy," she said presently as Draco signed his name on the register scroll.

"Yes," he replied stiffly. After a hesitation, he added, "Good afternoon."

Gemma's smile was far beyond the definition of 'beaming.' Uncomfortable, Draco turned and found a chair as far from the reception desk as possible. Her smile followed him like a bad odor.

He hated this place.

"Draco? You ready, _chamaco_?"

Calling his name was Healer Chase, a young-looking thirty-something wizard with dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, dark robes...everything about Case was dark except his heart and his teeth. Rising from his chair with a grimace, Draco followed the man deeper into the building.

"How was your weekend?" Chase asked as he led the way into his counseling office.

Draco shrugged and dropped into the center of the couch that sat beneath a small bewitched window. With a disbelieving tut, Chase settled into the chair that faced him.

"That bad?"

"No, it was fine, really."

"_Veo_. Well, should we just dive right in, or would you like the distraction of hearing about my weekend?"

"I don't think you're supposed to tell a patient about your personal life, healer."

Chase winked. "Got me there. Looks like we're diving right in, then." He pulled out a thick folder and waved his wand once, setting a Quick-Notes Quill to work just to his left. "How are things going with Teddy?"

With a small sigh, Draco let himself relax marginally. Teddy was a relatively safe subject. "He's doing well. He's speaking less in the third person, using more 'I' and 'me,' which is good to hear. He's growing up."

"Kids do, you know."

"It's fascinating to see it first hand."

"You really light up when we talk about Teddy," Chase said. "You always have, but more so since the accident."

Draco pursed his lips. "Stop calling it that. They died. I don't need it sugar-coated, I told you."

"That you did. My apologies." Chase bowed his head slightly as he fixed Draco with a searching look. "It's been almost three months."

"Not yet," Draco said lowly, voice bordering on a growl. "I've enough going on what with you and Teddy and now Potter without getting that involved."

A few seconds of silence followed in which Chase seemed to struggle with himself behind a perfectly composed expression. But Draco was prepared to fight; he was not ready to sort through what losing his mother meant to him.

Finally, without so much as a blink, Chase said, "Would you say that you see Teddy's growth as a more direct result of your efforts these days?"

"Uh...yes, I would say so." When Chase didn't reply, Draco continued, "Now it's not me so much supplementing what Andromeda and Mother were already doing...it's...at least when I have him, Teddy's milestones feel like...like they're my accomplishments, too."

"That's a very common emotion among parents." Chase smiled. "All your love for the _chico_ is really transforming you, you know."

"I'd say that's a fair assessment."

"I suspect that Harry Potter feels the same way."

"Oh, that's real clever, healer," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. "Want to talk about Potter, do you?"

"Well, if I thought you'd willingly talk about him, I'd just ask. But you always freeze at the mention of him, so I've had to get creative, _chamaco_."

"Stop calling me that," Draco snapped.

The Quick-Notes Quill began to scribble faster, and Chase leaned over to check the notes. Draco tried not to look as furious as he felt.

"I deal enough with Potter. I don't need him in here, too."

"I can understand, but you've refused to talk about him even before all this with Teddy."

Teeth clenched with enough force to crack them, Draco took a sharp exhale through his nose. The healer wasn't wrong. Draco never had wanted his hatred for the beloved Boy Who Lived to be psychoanalyzed beyond repair. But things with Potter were changing. Novel civility aside, he and Potter were loosely wound together for the next year and change. It made sense that Chase would persist the subject.

At least it wasn't his mother.

"Yes, I would assume Potter feels the same way about Teddy," he muttered.

Brows shooting up in astonishment, Chase turned his attention back to Draco. "Does that make it easier to interact with him?"

"Yes."

"Do you approve of how he's raising Teddy so far?"

Draco's mouth opened with a hot reply for a question Chase hadn't asked. Closing his mouth with a thoughtful frown, Draco considered the question.

"Well," he said slowly, grudgingly, "it's undeniable that Potter gives Teddy all the affection and support the boy craves. I...I suppose that is...more important than the fact that it's coming from some arrogant toerag with no brains." He sighed then as a thought crossed his mind. "Although growing up with a famous and influential wizard for a guardian can't be a bad thing for Teddy."

Chase waved his wand dismissively. "Harry Potter's status is not what will make him a good parenting partner-" Draco shuttered. "-but how he treats Teddy will. Remember, your parents held great status in our society yet were horrible to you. And look how your turned out."

Unexpected laughter tumbled out of Draco. Obnoxious as he could undoubtedly be, Healer Chase could be cruelly honest at times, something that put Draco at ease in a strange way that Chase would probably love to study.

"You have a point," Draco said with a final chuckle. "But from what little I see of Teddy and Potter together and how Teddy is overall, it would seem that Potter's not entirely inept."

"And if the brainless Harry Potter seems to be doing okay, you must be _la cana_, no?"

"Yes?"

"You think you're doing well with Teddy, then?"

"Oh. Yes, I think I'm doing quite well." He licked his lips once. "I...I'm making an effort to do things differently with Teddy than how I was raised."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Chase just stared at him. Heat filled Draco's ears.

"Yes," he continued. "I don't raise my voice with Teddy if I can help it, and I try not to make him feel blamed when something is truly just an accident. I don't usually turn him down when he asks to be read to or played with...I like to think it's helped foster some healthy independence. At the very least, I'm sure Teddy trusts me to be there for him.

"And now that Potter and I are...ah...'playing nice' around him, I think Teddy's exposure to negativity is all but nil. I can't say for Potter when he's over there, but I make sure not to let Teddy realize all my personal stresses like work or money or-"

"Are you concerned about money?"

Draco's mouth snapped shut.

With an understanding grin, Chase said, "My business is entirely with you, Draco. The only thing that would make me even think of interfering with Teddy's situation is if you gave me reason to believe he were in danger. And I can assure you that having a tight budget in this economy is no cause for alarm."

"Right..." Draco cleared his throat. "Well, since all this has happened, my finances are stretched quite thin. What with having to move, replace most of my possessions, and now caring for Teddy and keeping him fed, I'm not left with much at the end of the month. I'm sure things will look up in time, but for now I'm trying to cut costs where I can so I can replenish a savings account for emergencies."

"Well, you have an excellent attitude about it, I must say. Especially given that you grew up with more than the average wizard's financial security."

"I can make it just fine without my family's money."

"I can tell," the healer said with a courteous nod. "You've been impressively good with your money almost from the start of your employment. I have many other clients that still struggle with how to manage their money. All that aside, you ought to ask Harry Potter for some help."

Draco's hands clenched into fists in his lap.

"He _is_ responsible for, what? 80% of Teddy's needs?"

"75%."

"75%, then. That's still a large majority on him."

"I don't need Potter's help," Draco spat. "I can figure it out."

With a shrug, Chase made a note to his scroll. "It would take some of the strain off of you and, in turn, Teddy. It could also further a potential friendship with Harry Potter."

Words failed Draco. Mouth an brows warped with complete incredulity, all he could do was stare.

Chase looked up from his notes and laughed. "_Dios mio, chamaco_, would it really be so awful to turn a former enemy into a friend? What about an indifferent acquaintanceship?"

That had a nice ring to it.

"There you go, then!" Chase glanced at the clock above Draco's head. "That's all our time for today, lucky for you. I will see you same time, same place, next week..."

Draco stood and made for the door.

"...and Draco?"

He stopped, hand on the doorknob.

"Do not go out drinking, you hear me? Can I actually stop you? No. But it kind of defeats the purpose of sifting through your psyche if you drink the emotions away after every session. Besides, today was an easy day, no?"

"I don't drink my emotions away after every session."

Chase snorted, coming to stand beside Draco as he opened the door for him. "Do not go drinking. Please."

"Fine."

"Then I'll see you next week."

"That you will."

Walking as quickly as he could without looking too eager to escape, Draco fled the building, ignoring Gemma's sweet farewell as though it were his job. The air always tasted fresh in his lungs after stepping through the magical barrier, and today Draco took several deep breaths before Disapparating.

His flat was dark and quiet when he arrived. The silence reminded him of the Manor growing up, how it always sounded unless he was practicing his violin. It was the only thing that could cut slices through the tensions that lingered in the stagnant air. Feeling his hands begin to shake, Draco opened the window to allow a breeze.

Teddy's absence was like a physical void in Draco's life.

When Andromeda and Teddy had first stepped through the Manor's doors with their unending luggage, they had completely altered the Manor. Decades of layered stiffness and stillness shattered, replaced by the Tonks' joy and life. Without ever trying, Teddy transformed the Manor and Draco instantly, and Draco craved that light to be back in his life for good.

Draco rubbed his eyes angrily. Psychotherapy was making him far too introspective for his own good. Who just stood around and brooded in such a manner?

With a flick of his wand, Draco turned on the radio in the corner. A witch's full-bodied voice filtered into the flat, taking away the mounting of Draco's anxieties. She sang over a bright melody that was modern yet reserved, a mark of music created in the wake of the war - hopeful but still in mourning.

Draco hated it.

Storming into the kitchen, Draco pulled out a thick glass and a half-empty bottle of Beetle Berry Whiskey. Chase had just told him not to _go_ drinking.

* * *

Fridays were easily Harry's least favorite day, as the Auror trainees were put through paces and exams to end each week. But when the clock struck four and they were released...it was the weekend. Harry loved his weekends with Teddy even more now that things were less complicated and more routine. Plus, it was an entire two days that Harry didn't have to see Malfoy's ugly face.

"Harry! Hey, Harry!"

Turning at his name, Harry spotted Hermione struggling to reach him through a thick throng of workers pushing in the opposite direction. Hardly any taller than their time at school, Hermione's bushy hair was lost among the crowd for a moment as Harry slowed to wait for her.

"Have a moment?" Hermione asked as she broke through the wall of workers.

Harry glanced at his watch. Malfoy had to work at five, he knew, but he only worked the register at a potions shop. "Yeah, I've got time. What's up?"

"Your lease is up at the end of June, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"And you're looking to move into a larger place for Teddy?"

"Yeah, have you found something?"

"I believe so. I heard about a fairly high-class building that has lots of different floor plans and price options, and I owled and they said that they offer lease discounts for law enforcement."

"Oh!" Harry said, surprised. "That's fantastic! Where?"

"It's a building called The Loft, I think it's-what? What's the matter?" she asked as Harry groaned.

"That's where Malfoy lives."

"Oh. Well..."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Well...and don't get mad at me, Harry, but if Malfoy is already living there..." She looked up at him, eyes certain. "You and Malfoy are legally bound to share Teddy for another year anyway, and the building has a great reputation for families. You could either find somewhere that's less than perfect because of your pride, lease a flat in the same building as Malfoy, or...or you three could find a larger place together."

"Have you gone absolutely mad?" Harry squeaked. He cleared his throat. "Do you really hate me that much that I accidentally kicked your cat last weekend?"

Hermione scowled. "First of all, that was most definitely not an accident and you ought to have used that moment to teach Teddy not to pull on a cat's tail."

"I-"

"And second of all, you really should consider it. It would save you both time, money, and effort overall if you weren't popping across London everyday and having to pack and unpack Teddy twice a day. I've been reading into the cases with orphaned or misplaced magical children, and they're far more likely to be placed in homes with two adults, regardless of marital status. I don't think you quite realize how serious the Ministry is about the community's children-"

Outraged, Harry's voice carried. "You want to talk about being careful with orphans? Those-"

Hermione threw her hands up to stop him. "Your case was impossibly unique and you know that. Look," she sighed, looking tired. "I know you've got to pick up Teddy. But you really ought to give it some thought, moving in with Malfoy for the time being, at least until the Care-Seekers give you full guardianship. Teddy likes you _and_ Malfoy. Having you both around all the time would be good for him."

Not giving Harry a chance to reply, Hermione patted his arm and disappeared in a passing crowd. Brilliant as many people thought _he_ was, Harry knew it was Hermione that had a more solid head on her shoulders. After nearly a decade of being in constant awe of her, he learned to take her seriously when she suggested something. Whenever Hermione had what might be seen as a crazy idea, there was a very good chance that it was the right course of action.

But surely not this time.

Harry's watch beeped on his arm. Half past four. Malfoy was going to be livid.

Minutes later, after racing to the Disapparation Point, Harry stood in Malfoy's living room with his nose screwed up against the overwhelmingly _vegetable_ scent that filled the flat. He could hear Teddy thumping around in the kitchen and went to investigate.

"Hi, Ha-wee!"

Harry scooped up his godson as he leaped off the table at him. "Hey, Teddy. Good day?"

"I do have good day!"

"You _did_ have a good day."

"I did have good day!"

"There you go. Now, go grab your things and we'll head home."

Teddy squealed as Harry set him down, feet already in running motion before they hit the floor. Harry laughed as the toddler raced off, but it faded rather quickly as he felt Malfoy's eyes in his back. He turned.

"Afternoon," Malfoy said. He didn't look as annoyed as Harry expected, nor did he sound as much. Since the Battle of Hogwarts Remembrance Ceremonies, Malfoy had taken on a bland tone when he spoke to Harry most of the time. Something about it raked Harry's brain the wrong way.

"Er...sorry I'm a bit late."

"No harm done." Malfoy grabbed a canvas bag from the countertop and began stuffing fruit into it. "I got caught up cooking and am only just now ready to leave anyway."

"Is that what that smell is?"

"Yes, Potter."

Trying to be polite, Harry asked, "What'd you make?"

Turning from his bag with a frown, Malfoy eyed Harry suspiciously. "Ratatouille."

"Uh...what?"

"Honestly, Potter, it's a wonder Teddy hasn't got a vitamin deficiency with you feeding him," Malfoy said with a scoff. The blandness slipped from his voice. "Although I suspect that my cooking has kept him from total malnutrition."

"Just because I don't give him rabbit food doesn't mean he's missing something."

"It's not rabbit food-"

"D-aco?" Teddy called from the other room. "D-aco? Hep shoes? Hep pease? Pease!"

Shooting a final glare at Harry, Malfoy strode from the room. Harry stood in the kitchen, trying not to think about Hermione's suggestion. There wasn't any way he and Malfoy could live together. They could barely contain their bickering during two five-minute interactions a day. Actually living together would land them both in St. Mungo's or Azkaban. Harry shook his head and helped himself to the fridge on impulse.

The entire fridge was full of produce. Harry stared, a bit amazed that for such a large refrigerator, Malfoy had managed to fill almost every space with fresh leafy things and fruits and strange vegetables Harry couldn't even name. There were a handful of sauce jars and a bag of milk, but otherwise...

"What are you doing, Potter?" Malfoy asked from behind the open door.

Harry let the door swing closed and face Malfoy head-on.

"Why in Merlin's name are you rifling through my kitchen?"

"Are you a vegetarian?"

"What? No."

"You have a garden in your fridge."

"That's called good nutrition, Potter. You ought to do some research."

"Malfoy, you can't feed Teddy a bunch of vegetarian nonsense just because that's what you want," Harry said, frustrated. "Kids need protein, iron, that sort of crap."

"You don't think I know that?" Malfoy sneered. "Meat is just expensive, in case you haven't checked a price tag in the past two years, and I'm trying to stretch this paycheck as far as I can."

That was not the reaction Harry had expected. Neither had Malfoy, if the sour look of regret on his face was anything to go by.

"Are you having trouble with money?" Harry asked bluntly.

Malfoy scoffed. "If I were, it would be absolutely none of your business."

Instantly riled, Harry took two steps closer and clenched his fists to prevent himself from drawing his wand. "If you can't afford enough food for Teddy, it absolutely is my business."

Jaw locked and teeth grinding loud enough for Harry to hear, Malfoy held his glare for several seconds before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Money is a bit tight for me right now. Making ends meet is harder since taking Teddy and having my own flat. You know better than most where all our money went after my father went to Azkaban. Things are just harder now that I'm trying to support Teddy as well."

A series of emotions flushed Harry as he watched Malfoy's eyes fall to the floor. A strange sense of guilt for not being more concerned if Malfoy was managing after losing everything, frustration that the prat hadn't just asked for help in the first place, and complete panic at the realization that Hermione was more right than even she could have realized.

Fuck.

Harry swallowed dryly. Surely he was not about to do this.

"My lease agreement expires at the end of this month," he began. Malfoy raised his eyes back to his, narrowed in confusion. "I could...we...we could find a flat big enough for the three of us. Take some of the pressure off you. Off us both."

"I don't need the Chosen One's help," Malfoy snarled.

Officially irritated, Harry snapped back, "Obviously you do, Mr. Rabbit Food. And I'm not going to let anything, including you and your stupid pride, get in my way of making sure Teddy's looked after right."

A very pregnant pause followed. There was an uncomfortable bubbling in Harry's middle.

"I wasn't going to mention it," Malfoy said after several seconds went by. "I thought you would use it to take Teddy away from me for good."

"I...well, it didn't even cross my mind," Harry replied, feeling stupid that he hadn't done exactly that. Instead, he had offered to _live with Malfoy_. He was going to kill Hermione for her suggestion that ruined a perfect opportunity.

"Well...I suppose it would be easier on Teddy," Malfoy said. His eyes were unfocusing from Harry, his voice soft as though thinking out loud than continuing the conversation. "He wouldn't have to wake up quite as early...all his things would be in one place..."

All good points, Harry thought. And though he would rather stab himself in the eye with his own wand than admit it, Harry had been asked by Teddy more than once why Malfoy couldn't be with them in the evenings and on weekends. Teddy loved them both; he would be ecstatic to have them all under one roof.

"The only thing is that my lease agreement is through December."

Harry shrugged. "Just break it. I can help with the fee."

"I am not going to destroy what little credit I've managed to earn for myself on your sickel, Potter. You can just move into this flat and manage until then."

"What? Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"I do have a second bedroom, you moron."

"That's Teddy's room, though," Harry pointed out. "He's been crammed into that tiny bedroom with me all this time. He should have his own space if it's available."

Malfoy nodded. "I agree...well, then you can just sleep on the couch. It's quite luxurious, I think you'll find it comfortable enough. Besides, how much room does an Auror-in-training need? You'd basically only need enough room to sleep, eat, and bathe however often you do."

He wasn't wrong, but that was what annoyed Harry the most.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Malfoy suddenly said, startling Harry. He was looking at the clock over the table, which read just a few minutes until five. "I've got to go. Teddy? Teddy, come on now, it's time to go!"

Teddy hurried into the kitchen clutching his elephant. Malfoy bent over and gave the toddler a swift hug, pulling him from the ground and offering him to Harry. Their eyes met at the contact.

"Are we really doing this?" Harry asked.

The constant sneer that seemed to linger in those pale eyes faded at the question. Malfoy nodded. "I do believe we are."

Harry heaved Teddy more steady onto his hip. "Should we tell the Care-Seekers?"

At that, Malfoy openly laughed. "Think about that for more than two seconds and get back to me."

Brilliant.


	8. Chapter 8

"Look, Harry, all I'm saying is what the _fuck_?"

"Believe me, Charlie, we've all asked that," Ron muttered.

Harry stood outside the Burrow with Ron and Charlie, recently home for a short break, in the mid-summer heat. All three had their wands drawn, carefully levitating all of Harry's secondhand furniture and boxed-up possessions into the open attic wall high above them. After speaking with his landlord, Harry had been asked to vacate his flat a week before the end of the month for cleaning, leaving him to frantically pack up the tiny space as quickly as he could. But after transporting everything to the Burrow's front garden and taking Teddy over to Malfoy's, Harry returned to help move it all to the attic for future need.

Charlie was still rubbing his head. "Surely those Care-Seekers think this is mad?"

"Well, they were a bit skeptical that I don't even have a room," Harry admitted as he watched his bed frame vanish into the attic. "But they were impressed overall, I think. Said it was a 'mature choice,' and that once I've graduated and am home more often it would probably be time to find a better solution...but they seemed pleased for the most part."

Ron scoffed. "Everyone else thinks he's totally mad, though."

"That's not true," Harry countered. "Your mum and dad, Bill and Fleur, and Hermione all thought it was a good idea for Teddy, too."

"Yeah, but those are the nutters of the family."

Charlie laughed. "At least you're only a year from graduation, though, right? Then you can be done with all this shit with Malfoy."

"Hopefully. But if I haven't been granted permanent guardianship by then, a new contract might be written up."

"Oooh, rough."

But Harry just shrugged as the last of his boxes disappeared into the attic. He turned from the house, thanking Ron and Charlie, both of whom waved their hands as though dodging the gratitude.

"Need any help moving things into Malfoy's?" Charlie asked.

"Nah. I'm just taking a few bags of clothes and bathroom things and a little dresser for it all."

"Well, let us know if you need anything," Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder with a grin. "You live there now, so we can officially come over and bother Malfoy if you need us to."

"I'll let you know," Harry said with a laugh. "Tell your mum I said thanks? I told Malfoy I'd try to be over by noon."

"Will do, mate."

With a turn, Harry Apparated back to his flat, now empty and somehow looking smaller than when it had been filled with his things. He transported the remaining small dresser and bags to Malfoy's flat. Although he had hardly used it, Harry had already turned in the physical key to the landlord, leaving him nothing more to do. Nothing but to take one final look around the place, heave a deep sigh to steady his mounting unease, and Disapparate to his new home.

Teddy's squeals weren't exactly echoing, but Harry still felt his brain vibrate. The toddler was racing through the flat as though on fire; he leaped over scattered toys, slid against the furniture, and crashed directly into Harry's legs as he made to tear through the living room without realizing his godfather had appeared. Harry jilted at the force and tumbled to his rear, rolling back on the carpet with Teddy tangling hopelessly in his robes.

"Whoa, Teddy!" Harry chuckled, helping the little boy find his feet. "Slow down! Aren't you supposed to be helping unpack?"

"I hep! I hep!"

"Well, I'm going to be real honest here, Teddy. It doesn't look like you're helping."

Teddy giggled as he took off again. Harry pulled himself up off the floor just as Malfoy came from Teddy's new bedroom carrying a basket of clothes.

Without even looking at Harry, Malfoy said, "You can set that dresser along the wall there." He pointed.

"Alright." Trying not to be put off by the sensation of _living with Malfoy_ souring in his veins, Harry made quick work of unloading his things. The dresser only had six drawers, all but one filled with his somewhat limited wardrobe. He tossed his toiletries into the top drawer and threw his pillow and blanket onto the couch.

Done.

"He-wee! Ha-wee!" Teddy's little hands took in fistfuls of Harry's robes, jeans, and some of his skin as he began to climb Harry like a tree. "Ha-wee y-iv here! Move day!"

Harry grabbed Teddy by his waist and tossed him into the air, much to the toddler's delight. Fresh laughter filled the air.

"All-all-all-all-all-all-all-all-"

"Whoa," Harry said, catching Teddy. "Stop and just think about what you want to say first, hm?"

"All-all...togever!"

Harry grinned. "Yep. All together."

Malfoy cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He stood in the kitchen doorway with a bag over his shoulder. "Do you think you've got it from here, Potter? I need to put in a few hours today."

"Popper?" Teddy echoed.

"Yeah, everything's fine. We'll...we'll see you later."

It looked as if Malfoy used every bit of self-restraint he possessed not to roll his eyes. With a deep exhale, he stepped over and opened his arms to Teddy, who happily obliged. Leaping from Harry's arms to Malfoy's, Teddy rubbed his nose along Malfoy's cheek the same way he did Harry when he was lying him down for the night. A second and a pop later, Harry and Teddy were left alone in Malfoy's flat. Their new home. Harry shivered.

"Have you eaten since you've been here, Teddy?"

"Want chips!"

"No, Teddy, you need some lunch. Real food."

"Want chips, pease!"

Harry shook his head and made his way into the kitchen, wondering if Malfoy had anything worth eating. If _they_ had anything worth eating.

* * *

After working a few busy hours at the Apothecary, Draco made a point to take his time closing, not locking the front door behind him until close to ten. He hadn't a clue about Potter's sleeping habits, but he knew without a doubt that he did not want to go home until he thought the git would be asleep. The last thing he wanted was to be alone with Potter in the dark, trying to make conversation without cursing one another. But after stretching a single glass of wine at the Leaky Cauldron as long as he could, Draco figured that midnight was probably a safe enough time to head back.

The flat was dark. Draco had to squint to see that Potter was, indeed, unconscious under a thick blanket on the sofa. Thank Merlin.

Not wanting to shower for fear of waking and having to deal with Potter, Draco crawled into his bed a few minutes later after checking in on Teddy first. The flat felt warmer than usual but not uncomfortably so. The strange humidity born from others breathing in the usually empty spaces of his flat were both a blessing and a curse. His heart swelled as Draco thought about Teddy sleeping in his own bedroom just down the short hall, all his clothes in the wardrobe, all his things overflowing on the shelves. His skin crawled as Draco thought about Potter in his underwear, rubbing his stink all over that couch that had cost Draco a fortune.

Pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes until his vision swirled, Draco reminded himself that this was going to be good for Teddy. Not only was it relatively temporary, but it would ease the financial burden that had been near to suffocating Draco. He tried to let Teddy's uninhibited joy when they had been unpacking fill his mind. That was why they were doing this. Rolling to his side and individually relaxing each of his muscles, Draco felt himself drift to sleep.

What felt like heartbeats later, Draco came to, eyelashes feeling like they were fused together. Moaning a little, he shifted under the comforter before prying his eyes open. The clock beside his bed read a little after half past five. What in the world had woken him?

But then he heard it. A shuffling...no, a slithering sound coming from his living room. But as Draco sat up in his bed, muscles aching from the interrupted sleep, he could have sworn he heard water running as well. Had he left a tap on? Draco stood, padding silently into the hall just outside his door and seeing a light under the closed door of the bathroom. The shower was on. What the hell?

Potter yawned then, the sound echoing on the tiles behind the door.

Right.

Still groggy and feeling foolish for having forgotten, Draco moved to peek in on Teddy. The boy was drooling into his pillow contentedly. The water shut off, and Draco hurried back to his own bed. The last thing he needed was to encounter a naked Potter.

One night down. Only about three hundred and forty to go.

* * *

"What if I trip?"

"You'll be at the altar before the ceremony even begins."

"I'm talking about leaving the altar."

"By then, you'll be married and it doesn't matter anyway."

"But I'd embarrass Hermione."

"She's already embarrassed enough by you; I think she's used to it by now."

Ron kicked Harry's shin as the lift hit the top floor. "I'm serious! This is the biggest day of our lives! I don't want to ruin it! Hermione deserves more than that!"

Rubbing his leg, Harry sighed. "Seriously, you're going to be fine. All you have to do is not pass out, kiss her, and then let loose at the reception after."

"You just don't get it. You'll be just as nervous the day before your wedding, then you'll see."

Harry snorted. "I'm going to be alone forever now that I have Teddy. You know I haven't been anywhere but home, work, or the Burrow since I got him? Besides, after Ginny, I can't seem to impress a girl enough to last more than two dates."

Nodding distractedly, Ron said, "I doubt that'll last, though. You're Harry Potter. Someone will put up with you eventually for the name if anything."

"Thanks."

"Not at all." They drew closer to where they parted between the Floo and Disapparation points, and Ron slowed to look at Harry with wide eyes. "Can I come over? Hermione's at her parents' tonight, and I don't fancy going back to an empty flat just yet."

"Fine by me. Malfoy has to work in an hour anyway, so it'll just be us and Teddy before long."

Harry led the way to the Disapparation point, laying a hand on Ron before they turned on the spot to guide him to the new flat.

"Whoa," Ron breathed as he looked around at the luxurious flat for the first time.

"What are you doing here, Weasley?" Malfoy's drawl came from behind them.

"Ron and Hermione's wedding is tomorrow," Harry explained, crossing his arms. "She's staying with her parents and Ron's going to hang out over here for a bit."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "What difference does it make if they sleep together the night before their wedding? They've been living together probably since they left Hogwarts. Her dress probably shouldn't even be white. Honestly, I wonder if it ever could have been..."

Face reddening, Ron drew his wand, but Harry raised his hand to stop him. Ron looked at him, incredulous. Harry just nodded across the room, where Teddy was skipping from his bedroom toward them.

"Ha-wee! Won!" Teddy wrapped his little arms around each of their legs in turn, grinning up at them as he began to chant, "Won! Won! Won! Won!"

"Hey, buddy," Ron said, tearing his glare from Malfoy to squat to Teddy's level. "Mind if I hang out here with you and Harry for a bit tonight?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"You better be gone by the time I come home," Malfoy muttered dangerously.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Ron said as he stood back up.

"It's my flat. I make the rules."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "It's actually both our flat now."

"You're not on the lease, Potter."

Ron's mouth opened angrily, and Harry suddenly held up both of his hands, stopping everyone. With a deep breath, he looked back at Teddy, still hugging his leg. "Teddy, would you mind going to play in your room for a minute? I need to talk to Ron and Malfoy alone."

Teddy's lips dipped into a frown. "Who Mah-foy?"

"I mean Draco, sorry."

"Oh. Otay!

"Alright, run along now."

Harry watched Teddy race back into his room, listening as he promptly knocked something loud onto the floor the moment he disappeared from sight. With a sigh, Harry turned back to Ron and Malfoy and beckoned for them to follow him into the kitchen. Once there, he turned on Malfoy, angry but keeping his voice down.

"Did you already forget our agreement not to fight in front of Teddy?"

Ron snickered. "You two are never going to get along enough not to argue in front of him, mate."

"We've been doing just fine until you showed up," Malfoy snapped. "And no, Potter, I haven't forgotten. But it's foolish to think that we can shield Teddy from every disagreement we're going to have."

"I reckon you're right...but you could at least not attack anyone I bring over."

"I'm not attacking anyone."

"You kind of were," Ron said.

Harry looked at Ron. "That goes for you and me, too, you know. Anyone we bring around Teddy. We ought to try and get along better in front of him."

Looking thoughtful, Malfoy said, "That's a bit unrealistic to expect Teddy not to see any unfriendliness. Honestly, there should just be more of an effort in, that when we do argue, it's in a healthier manner than just shouting at each other. It'd show Teddy how to properly handle conflict."

Harry and Ron stared. Harry knew that Malfoy's psychotherapy was likely where such a suggestion blossomed, but he hadn't told Ron or even Hermione about Malfoy being sentenced to therapy for reasons he couldn't define. Surprised as he was at the impressive nature of the idea, Harry knew Ron was probably baffled.

"That's...not a bad idea," Harry said after a brief silence.

Ron scoffed, coming out of his shock. "Do you even know what a healthy disagreement looks like, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's face pointed into a furious sneer. "I have a better idea than-" He stopped, pursing his lips tightly before continuing. "I have a better idea than you would think." Turning to Harry directly, he added in slightly less icy tones, "We ought to look more into the concept, though. For now, I have to go to work."

He strode from the kitchen then, calling to Teddy and giving the toddler a quick hug and kiss on the head. As Harry and Ron dropped onto the couch, Teddy climbed up after them, asking for popped corn. Malfoy shook his head exasperatedly.

"Just make sure he's not up too late," he said as he grabbed his bag from the bookshelf. "Especially since he'll likely be up tomorrow night, what with the wedding and all."

"I know," Harry grunted.

With a shrug and a final sneer, Malfoy Disapparated.

Ron immediately turned to Harry, hand steadying Teddy as he tried to stand on his legs. "You must really love this kid to live with _that_."

Harry nodded. He definitely did love Teddy enough to make this work, apparently even if it killed him.

"How long do you plan on keeping this up?"

"Like I said before, the contract is good until we graduate. Past that, it just depends on if I'm given permanent guardianship or not."

"That can't come soon enough," Ron said with a sympathetic look, helping Teddy back onto the floor.

Harry exhaled, sinking deep into the couch. "You have no idea."

* * *

The five hours Draco worked on weeknights were becoming a rather nice reprieve for him. After tending to Teddy all day and now having to endure longer and more personal interactions with Potter just before leaving, the hours Draco spent organizing orders and stocking ingredients were now almost precious to him. But his shift ended as the minute hand neared the seven, and Draco had to remind himself that avoiding Potter after work forever was a sign of cowardice. So, much as he didn't want to, Draco skipped the bar and headed straight home.

The flat wasn't entirely dark, the lamp beside the couch emitting a soft glow over the living room. Potter sat on the couch near the center, blanket pooled around his waist as he read a thick volume of some sort. Graciously, he was wearing a shirt. He looked up and nodded at Malfoy.

"Hey."

"I'm shocked Weasley didn't stick around just to be obnoxious like he so regularly is."

Potter shrugged, returning to his book. "Oh, he wanted to. But I made him go home because I knew it'd make my life hell for how shrill you'd get over it."

"I am not _shrill_."

"You're already acting exactly like I knew you would and Ron's not even here."

Draco clenched his fists, shaking from the effort not to curse that relaxed look on Potter's stupid face. He stormed into the kitchen, hating Potter and his cabbage friends that lacked any originality or thoughts of their own besides driving Draco absolutely mad. Instead of finding food and a drink to lower his blood pressure, Draco froze at in the doorway, appalled at the dishes overflowing in the sink and assorted clutter covering the countertops. Did the Boy Who Lived expect Draco to live like this? Or worse yet, clean up after him?

Fuming, Draco stomped back in front of Potter.

"Have you seen the kitchen?" he seethed. "What kind of way to live is that? I'm not your fucking house elf. You are to clean up after yourself, Potter."

Not looking up from his book, Potter answered, sounding distracted. "I'll clean it before we leave for the wedding tomorrow. Don't have a heart attack over a few dishes."

"That's not the point. If you just picked up as you went it wouldn't pile up like that."

"Gotcha."

"I'm not going to have a pigsty for a flat, Potter, regardless of whatever filth you think is acceptable."

Finally, a reaction. Potter groaned, dropping his chin to his chest before meeting Draco's eyes with an irritated glare. "Will you quit your bitching? I have to read this entire thing by Monday and your nagging is making impossible to concentrate."

"They expect you to read an entire textbook over a weekend?" Draco asked, sidetracked as he saw that Potter was only about a quarter of the way through.

"Er...no, but I've only just started."

Draco ran his hands over his face. "How long have you had to read that thing?"

"It's none of your business."

"You probably put it off for a damn month, and you expect me to believe you when you say you'll take care of your mess tomorrow? Pathetic."

Closing the book is a sharp slap, Potter tossed it to the side as he abruptly stood. He made his way to the kitchen, muttering as he went.

"Should I thank you?" Draco asked scornfully. "Thank you for doing the most basic of domestic tasks in a flat that's not even your own?"

There was more grumbling as Draco heard the sink begin running water. Served the prat right. Spoiled rotten and childish as ever. Hands still unsteady from the fury he couldn't expel, Draco made his way to the shower, hating Harry Potter as much as ever.


	9. Chapter 9

"Okay, but really - what if I trip?"

Harry smiled, helping Ron straighten the collar of his brand new dress robes. "You're not going to trip. You're going to be fine."

"But-"

"I mean it, Ron."

Ron's eyes were wide. "So do I. What if I'm not ready for this?"

"You are. You're just nervous about the ceremony part."

"Why'd she want it so late in the day? I've been a mess all day and I'll never forgive her."

Laughing, Harry moved toward Ron's old bedroom window, looking down on the garden, where Ron and Hermione's wedding would be taking place in less than an hour. It was almost identical to Bill and Fleur's set up, expect that Hermione had specifically requested that there be no canopies to cover the setting sunlight she wanted to see as they married, nor to cover the summer stars as the reception flowed into the night. Ron came to stand beside Harry.

"Look," Harry began. "Everything is going perfect-" A very familiar shriek filtered through the cracked door. "-ly." He rubbed his temples. "Dammit...I'm sorry, Ron."

"It's fine."

But as Harry hurried toward the angry screams of his godson, he couldn't stop the guilt from festering in his chest.

On the second floor landing, Fleur crouched with Teddy and Victoire. Both toddlers were in tears, pink in the face as they each screamed and clung to Fleur in her mauve dress robes.

"Teddy, you do not 'it, are you hearing me?" Fleur was saying firmly, one hand gripping Teddy as he tried to squirm away from her.

"NO!"

"What happened?" Harry asked, grabbing Teddy by the middle and hoisting him up. Teddy continued to fight, twisting and shaking enough that Harry worried he would drop him.

Fleur pursed her lips, although Harry was relieved to see that she seemed more exasperated than angry. "Zey are fighting over zis button Teddy found on ze floor, and Victoire took it and leetle Teddy 'it 'er on ze 'ead and..." She gestured vaguely to the two screaming children.

"Ugh...I'm so sorry, Fleur."

"Just leetle children, no?"

"I guess...give me a minute..." And with Teddy under his arm like a rolled up carpet, Harry stormed into the nearby bedroom. He plopped Teddy onto the bed and crouched in front of him. "Teddy, what in Merlin's name is going on with you? You never hit!"

Teddy's screams, if possible, grew louder. Harry had to practically shout to be sure Teddy heard him.

"You can cry all you want; as soon as you're done, you're going to say sorry to Victoire and to Fleur. Hopefully they still want to sit with you during the wedding."

"Is everything alright, dear?" Mrs. Weasley poked her head into the room.

Nodding, Harry stood and turned his back on Teddy, whose cries were beginning to shift from angry to upset, to walk over to her. He rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I think I'm just going to wait it out. I don't know what's wrong with him. I don't think he's ever hit someone like that before."

Mrs. Weasley nodded in understanding. "It happens around this age, especially with boys. Ginny was always more willing to trip at the top of the stairs...but don't fret, Harry dear. You're doing a fantastic job with him."

"Should I...I don't know, scold him? Make him stop crying? I don't even think I'd know how to do that."

"It's different for each one," Mrs. Weasley said with a shrug. "With Bill and Ron, I just had to tell them I was disappointed and they shaped right up. The twins and Ginny had to be spanked, and good heavens I felt like a monster half the time. But I did exactly what you're doing here with Charlie. He usually had just needed to get it out of his system like a virus."

Harry chuckled once. "What about Percy?"

"To be honest, he only got into trouble when he was grown. Can't really spank an adult." Mrs. Weasley glanced at her watch, then leaned to give Harry's cheek a gentle kiss. "You really are doing quite well. Just keep doing your best and things will be alright. For now, I need to make sure things downstairs are ready. We're going to get started in about a half hour, just so you know, Best Man."

"I'll be there."

"I know you will be, dear."

Feeling better, Harry stood by the door with his back to Teddy for a few more minutes, until all the sounds of upset were faded and he could hear his name tentatively being whispered. Teddy's face was pale but for around his eyes, which were dry and somewhat bloodshot, and Harry felt his heart melt at the sight. But with so much happening and going on, he hadn't the time to snuggle Teddy as much as he wanted. Instead, with a soft voice and gentle hand wrapped around Teddy's, Harry led the toddler back into the house and had him deliver a quick apology to Victoire and Fleur, who then took Teddy by the other hand and led him away to find a seat in the garden. With about fifteen minutes left, Harry ran up the staircases back to Ron's room and froze on the landing.

The bedroom door was cracked, and Harry could see Ron's back to the opening as he spoke with Bill. Their voices were low and indistinct. Bill smoothed Ron's shoulder, fixing him with a reassuring smile as he spoke. Harry sighed. He should have been there.

But whatever Bill had said to Ron seemed to have done the trick. Ten minutes later, Harry and Ron stepped onto the short platform in the garden beside the altar and Ron looked almost calm. Harry had tried to apologize again but was told not to worry. Ron looked as though he truly meant it, even cracking a joke that he'd make sure his own kid did the same thing at Harry's wedding.

The ceremony went just as perfectly as Harry had predicted to Ron an hour previous. Ginny strode down the aisle first, looking absolutely stunning, followed by Hermione and her father. Ron's jaw actually dropped when Hermione stepped into view, and quite frankly, Harry was sure his did, too. Her hair was as sleek as she had done it for the Yule Ball but not quite as elaborate, and her robes were the kind of simple silk that reminded Harry of expensive book pages, something that Hermione wore incredibly well. With the sun setting beyond the altar and likely blinding the seated crowd, Ron and Hermione married just as the star pressed the horizon. The charm danced around them as Hermione added the muggle tradition of sharing the couple's first kiss to the crowd's ecstatic cheers.

Harry's heart was full at the sight, swollen with happiness.

Regardless, the reception was easily more enjoyable. The men were able to undo the topmost clasps of their robes for easier breathing, and there was food and drink to accompany the mingling that surrounded a frenzied dance floor. Although Teddy had behaved quite well during the ceremony, Harry could tell that Fleur was ready for a break and spent most of the reception trying to keep the toddler entertained and out from underfoot. Harry kept him close as he caught up with a few friends from Hogwarts and various Weasley relatives, including a second cousin of Ron's that was frighteningly forward. She seemed nice enough, but her hands were bold and roamed Harry's chest and arms the entire time they spoke. It was only when Teddy accidentally set her shoes alight that Harry had an excuse to be rid of her.

By the time he was able to escape Sticky Fingers and make as quick of work as he could with his farewells to everyone he could find, Harry and Teddy were both struggling to keep their eyes open. After moving just beyond the garden to the front of the house, Harry took Teddy in his arms and Disapparated home.

Malfoy wasn't back from work yet, which surprised Harry. Malfoy was usually back by ten, so it couldn't have been as late as Harry's body felt it was. But even as he thought about the daunting task of bathing Teddy and putting him to bed, Harry heard a loud crack and watched Malfoy Apparate just a few feet from them.

"Are you just now getting back?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah. Literally just showed up a second ago."

"It's nearly ten! This is far too late for him!"

Harry hummed a bit, annoyed. Of course Malfoy would be a huge pest about it. Teddy was turning into deadweight on his shoulder, and Harry shifted to keep him awake as they all three headed toward the bathroom.

"One night isn't going to ruin him," Harry said as he started a bath. Teddy lifted his head at the sound.

"No baf, pease."

"You need a bath, Teddy. We're both sweaty and gross. You'll feel better after a bath, I promise."

"No. No baf."

"Yes, Teddy."

"No!"

Harry raised a brow at him as he set Teddy down next to the tub. "Yes, Teddy. You have to get a bath."

"NO!" Teddy shrieked, balling his little fingers into fists. Harry frowned at him. Teddy kicked the tub's basin, then officially dissolved into furious tears. He dropped to the floor and rolled with his limbs flailing, mouth open wide as he continued to scream in the tiny bathroom.

"You're getting a bath in five minutes," Harry said, leaning down closer to Teddy so he could be heard. "Get it out now. I'll be back."

"What is going on in here?"

Malfoy knocked into Harry at the door, brows knitted together. His eyes fell on Teddy and he scowled. Dropping to his knees, Malfoy grabbed Teddy by his upper arms and lifted him to his feet, although the toddler didn't stand. He was seeming to become a human gelatin in Malfoy's grip as he continued to scream. Malfoy leaned in until he was almost touching his nose to Teddy's.

"You stop screaming," he said firmly. "Right this instant, young man."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Just leave him alone. He'll come out of it on his own in a few minutes."

"We are not just going to condone such behavior. It has to be put to a stop early."

"Come on. Tantrums are normal. Natural. Healthy, probably."

Malfoy's head whipped around then and he carefully set Teddy on the floor. Teddy didn't continue his rolling, though. "Of course they're normal, Potter, how stupid do you think I am? But it's our job to teach Teddy that tantrums are not appropriate and that there are better ways to handle emotions."

More psychotherapy nonsense, Harry thought. "Maybe it's just best to let Teddy be a kid," he snapped.

"What, and let him grow up to be a hooligan?"

"A tantrum here and there doesn't mean he's going to grow up a certain way!"

There was a definite sob then, and both Harry and Malfoy turned their attentions back to Teddy. Sitting next to the nearly-full tub with his arms around his knees, tears and snot covering his face, Teddy had at some point shifted from throwing a tantrum to crying. Harry and Malfoy's agreement had yet again been forgotten.

Harry moved first, scooping Teddy into his arms as he turned the water off. Hugging the toddler tightly, Harry stood up, shushing him. "I'm sorry, Teddy."

Malfoy reached over and ran a hand up and down Teddy's back, careful to avoid touching Harry's arms. "Everything's okay, little one. No one's angry with you."

"Who...who angwy who?"

"We're just...angry at each other."

"Like always," Harry muttered.

Malfoy's eyes flashed at him. "How do you think that's helpful right now?"

"But why angwy?"

"Just..." Malfoy exhaled. "Let's get you in the bath, little one. Can we do that while we talk?"

Teddy nodded, and together Harry and Malfoy stripped the toddler and helped him into the warm water, moving fairly in sync to wash him as quickly as possible.

"We're sorry for yelling, Teddy," Harry said as he scrubbed Teddy's hair. "Just because we're angry with each other doesn't make it right to have yelled."

"Things are just going to take some...some getting used to. Potter and I aren't used to being around each other all the time and we...we..."

Harry shot Malfoy a look while Teddy's eyes closed under his rinsing. "Malfoy and I just need some time to get used to each other."

"Mah-foy?" Teddy looked up at them, the beginnings of tiny bags under his eyes. "Popper?"

"Uh, Draco. And me."

"Come on, little one. Let's get you in bed. You must be tired."

Teddy didn't even reply. He yawned as Malfoy lifted him out of the water and into some pajamas, and he barely could keep his eyes open as he hugged Harry goodnight and let Malfoy lead him to his bedroom. Feeling exhausted himself, Harry collapsed onto the couch as the door shut behind Malfoy. He kicked off his shoes and undid the rest of the clasps on his robes. As much as he had told Teddy they both needed to bathe, a shower felt incredibly overwhelming as the cushions pulled him deeper into them.

Teddy's door opened a few short moments later. Harry sat up in mild surprise as Malfoy carefully pulled the door closed behind him.

"Wow, I knew he was tired, but he's never fallen asleep that fast for me."

Malfoy gave him a strange look. "He's not asleep?"

"What?"

"Do...do you sit with him until he falls asleep every night?"

"Of course. You don't?"

Malfoy groaned, guttural and drawn out. "You have got to be joking. Tell me you're joking."

"What?" Harry asked, defensive. "What do you do? Toss him on the bed and walk out?"

"No, but tucking him in with a few kind words and leaving him to fall asleep on his own teaches him independence. You coddle him entirely too much."

"Coddle him? I just show him affection! You ought to try it sometime."

"We're supposed to lead him toward independence."

"He's _two_."

"It's never too early."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You know, we really ought to be more consistent with him. We're giving him two completely different sets of expectations."

"I agree. Start hugging him more."

"I meant that you should be more firm with him, Potter."

"Speaking of that," Harry said, sitting up slightly. "What we _really_ need to do is call each other by our first names. Teddy has no idea who we're talking about half the time."

For a few seconds, Malfoy just looked at him. "I...had been thinking the same thing," he said finally. "...Harry."

"...Draco."

They both were wearing deeply etched grimaces. Harry could taste the foulness in the air between them.

Giving himself a mental shake, Harry said, "It really wouldn't hurt you to be more affectionate with Teddy, you know."

"Oh my word, you are a lost cause."

And without a glance back in Harry's direction, Malfoy- no, _Draco_ disappeared into his bedroom.

* * *

The curtains in Draco's bedroom were thin, a specific choice when he purchased them to keep him from using the room like a cave. A slight downside to it was that his room filled with light as the sun rose, waking him very early every morning. Draco shifted under his comforter against the morning light that Sunday, craving more sleep. But once awake, he was awake, and Draco gave up after only a few minutes of wriggling.

Pulling on a shirt as he stepped into the living room, Draco yawned. He stopped when he saw that Teddy's door was open. Surely if the boy were awake, Draco would hear him somewhere? But as he made his way toward the kitchen, he caught sight of the couch. Two heads of hair laid on the pillow. Teddy was snuggled against Potter's chest.

Of course.

Annoyed, Draco went to the kitchen to brew some coffee. Although furious that Potter would of course take Teddy into his own bed after their conversation the previous night, Draco began making all three of them breakfast. It would show Teddy that they were a united group, something remotely reminiscent of a family, he thought angrily as he stirred some eggs.

"Morming, D-aco."

Draco turned and smiled at the groggy toddler in the doorway. Teddy's hair was wild and his pajamas were twisted, but he looked significantly happier than he had before bed.

"Morning. Are you hungry?'

Nodding, Teddy hopped up onto his chair at the table.

"Did you have a nightmare or something last night, Teddy?" Draco asked.

Teddy shook his head.

"Did you get out of bed and go to sleep with...Harry?"

Teddy nodded.

"Why?"

Teddy shrugged, a single-shoulder movement that was very similar to Potter's.

"You really should be sleeping in your own bed all night, Teddy," he said as he turned back to the stove, tending to some sausages and toast. "You're getting to be a big boy, you know. You have to learn to sleep on your own like...like Harry and I do."

"Otay."

It wasn't very likely that Teddy knew entirely what Draco was talking about, but it was nice to hear the boy agree with him. As Draco began loading up three plates, Potter wandered into the kitchen. He looked just as groggy, wild, and twisted as Teddy did.

"Morning."

"Did you go get Teddy out of his bed last night?"

Potter rubbed his eyes as he dropped into the chair next to Teddy. "Hmm? No. Teddy found me about...I think it was about three or four."

"He needs to be sleeping in his own bed."

"Come on, it was for a few hours. It doesn't matter that much."

Draco pursed his lips. "It matters. He's two years old. He's not an infant anymore."

Irritation flickered in Potter's eyes. Instead of arguing back, however, Potter impressed Draco when he took a deep breath and looked away.

Damn, maybe they _could_ do this.

Draco set out their plates, making sure to scoot Teddy close enough to prevent the most food from falling to the floor. Potter murmured a 'thanks,' which Teddy echoed more enthusiastically, then they began to eat.

"Ha-wee, go park today?"

"Mm?" Potter looked over at Teddy with a full mouth. "Park?"

"Park!"

"We can go to the park if you want, sure."

Squealing with delight and moving with awoken energy, Teddy began to slither off his chair. Potter grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"No, Teddy, you need to eat more of this breakfast."

"Nooo, Ha-wee, no," Teddy whined. "No hungwy."

"You only took three bites of egg. You've got to eat more than that."

"Nooo." The whining was at a decibel that could alert most canines. Draco screwed his eyes up at the sound, but Potter only looked frustrated, trying to force a loose-limbed Teddy back into his chair.

"What's the big deal?" Draco asked after several seconds of watching the losing battle. "You'll let him just throw tantrums, but he has to clear a plate of food he doesn't want?"

"He needs to eat more."

Reaching over and grabbing Teddy himself, Draco drew the toddler over to him and caught his eye. "Teddy, are you full or still hungry?"

"Full."

"Then you may go." Draco released Teddy with a grin. "Why don't you go find some clothes and I'll be in there to help you change soon, alright?"

Potter's fuming could steam the room. "Why did you do that? He's got to eat more than a few bites every meal."

"He eats when he's hungry."

"He's _never_ hungry."

"I just don't think he's doing a lot of growing right now," Draco said with a shrug. "He'll eat more when he's going through a growth spurt."

"How are you okay with just letting him starve like that?"

Draco scoffed. "Oh, come. Not even a toddler would let himself actually starve. Teddy's eating habits are just different than what you want. We ought to trust his body."

Massaging his temples roughly, Potter muttered something under his breath. Draco finished his own breakfast while Potter pouted. But as Draco moved to take his plate and Teddy's to the sink and found Potter giving the toddler's food almost a sorrowful gaze, Draco felt a tiny shred of something akin to sympathy stir in him. He took his own plate to the sink, grabbed his wand from the counter, then cast a covering charm to Teddy's plate. He didn't meet Potter's look of bemusement as he put the plate into the fridge.

"If you're so concerned about the eggs, just make him eat them later."

"That's not the point," Potter sighed.

"Then what is the point?"

"Nothing. Nevermind."

Rolling his eyes, Draco looked at the clock. He needed to shower and ready for work. He didn't have time to try and figure out what Potter's fixation with force-feeding children was about, nor did he care to. With a sigh loud enough to convey just how above Potter he truly was, Draco left the kitchen to actually accomplish something that day.

* * *

As he had been every night since moving into Malfoy's flat the week previous, Harry found himself blinking awake in the night, disoriented. The clock above the front door glowed faintly, telling Harry that it was only about one in the morning. He slumped back into the cloud-like cushions of his sofa-bed. He was tired enough as it was without having his sleep interrupted every night for no reason other than he wasn't in his own space.

"Come on," a soft voice breathed somewhere behind him.

Harry launched himself out of his blankets, sending them flying as he leaped to his feet and raised his hands, turning toward the voice.

"Will you stop acting like a madman for two fucking seconds?" Malfoy hissed. He was cradling a half-asleep Teddy to his chest in the dark.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh."

Keeping Teddy's head down, Malfoy disappeared into the toddler's room. His adrenaline racing, Harry tried to collect himself as he fixed his blanket. Malfoy emerged from Teddy's room a few seconds later, closing the door on Teddy's whimpering within. Harry moved around the couch, intending to go check on him.

"Stop," Malfoy whispered, blocking the doorway. "He needs to fall asleep on his own and stay there. He never had this kind of issue before you got involved."

Harry scowled. "You didn't have night duty before we moved in, how would you know how he behaves at night?"

"I lived across the hall from him and Andromeda for a full year, you complete moron."

Face growing hot, Harry just retorted, "Well, I didn't have this issue when it was just me and him, either. Probably because I let him fall asleep with the affection he obviously needs. He wasn't trying to find it in the middle of the night because I just give it to him."

"I am plenty affectionate with him," Malfoy snapped. "But there was a certain routine Teddy was used to before you came and mucked it up. He's probably just confused as to what's okay and what's not since you insist on treating him like a baby."

"What is your obsession with independence?" Harry asked furiously, using every ounce of restraint he possessed not to raise his voice. "He's only two!"

"It's good for growth, Potter."

"Of course you would think an independent toddler is better than loving one."

"You just don't understand since you never had a proper family."

"You're lucky my wand is across the room, Malfoy, or I'd hex your ugly face."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Forgive me for not being frightened of the Chosen One in his underwear."

"Oh, fuck off," Harry growled, flopping back onto the couch. "Your parents probably treated you the same way you're trying to treat Teddy and you can't see why it's so completely fucked up."

Turned from Malfoy, Harry couldn't be certain of how furious the other was in the quiet. He wasn't sure he cared. When Malfoy's bedroom door latched shut a second later, Harry took several deep breaths to steady himself. What was Malfoy's _problem_?

Annoyance kept him from relaxing. Harry pushed off the couch, going to peek in on Teddy, Malfoy and his independence fetish be damned. But when Harry opened Teddy's bedroom door, he could see through the darkness that Teddy's blankets were still. Harry crept closer and knelt down, almost hoping that he'd find Teddy awake and silently crying so he could comfort the distress that Malfoy caused. But Teddy was snoring into his pillow.

Thank Merlin Malfoy was still shut in his room, Harry thought as he returned to the living room. Malfoy would no doubt sneer and rub Harry's nose in the fact that Teddy had, in fact, fallen asleep on his own.

As Harry made his way back to the couch, though, he heard some muffled sounds coming from Malfoy's room. The door was closed, so Harry sneaked up to it and pressed his ear to the wood. It was hard to make out, but he could have sworn he heard...gasping? Torn between not wanting to see more of Malfoy and curiosity over what could possibly be making that sound, Harry hesitated at the door a moment more before finally wrapping his hand around the door knob and carefully cracking it open.

Malfoy was sitting on his bed, facing away from the door with his head down. His shoulders were now bare, shirt discarded somewhere, and they quaked just enough for Harry to notice in the dark. It was with a horrifying moment of clarity that he realized Malfoy was _crying_.

Bewildered, Harry eased the door closed again and all but hurtled himself back to the couch. There was a lot about Malfoy that was predictable, but sobbing alone in the dark after arguing with Harry was not one of them. And, against everything in him that screamed not to care, Harry found himself listening to the indistinct sounds of upset for a long time before he could fall asleep.

* * *

Draco shot another glass of Firewhiskey at the Leaky Cauldron that Monday evening, grateful for Tom's understanding silence as he beckoned for another. Although, intuitive as the barman likely was, Draco was sure that it was his own face that was putting Tom off from speaking with him. His skin was paler than usual against the swollen red flesh around his eyes from all the damn crying he had done in the past eighteen hours. Potter certainly knew how to press Draco's buttons, but his comment about Draco's parents treating him with the same strive for independence had cut far too close to Draco's deepest fears with raising Teddy.

And so, after a rather subdued day with Teddy and practically running from Potter when he returned from work, Draco had stormed into Healer Chase's office and gave that wizard exactly what he had been wanting for over four months. Swirling into a human version of a shit-storm, Draco had screamed and sobbed about his father's death, his mother's death, his aunt's death, _everyone_'s death, and how much he hated how indifferent he truly felt about them all no longer being around. After spending his entire childhood performing like an animal for his parents to award him a single pat on the shoulder or a swift kiss to the top of his head, Draco wasn't even sure he knew how to properly be affectionate. All he was likely doing with Teddy was continuing the cycle, he had screamed after thirty straight minutes of ranting. And then Draco had collapsed onto the sofa beneath the magical window, exhausted.

Healer Chase had been rather tactful, Draco thought as he downed yet another glass. The healer was intent on his notes as he calmly addressed the very skeleton basics of severe losses, various types and degrees of grief, and a few simple things to remember when letting oneself finally feel repressed emotions. Of course, most of that was long forgotten as Draco swallowed another glass of whiskey. It didn't even burn going down anymore. He slammed the glass on the counter.

"It's not even half past seven, son."

"'s 'at 'posed to-to mean som'in' to me?" Draco asked. When had his eyes closed? He opened them. Tom, outline a little blurry, was frowning sympathetically at him. "I d-don' need 're pity."

"And you don't have it," Tom said. But his voice was soft. "Go on. Get some sleep. It'll all look better in the mornin'."

"Nothin' 'll make th-this look be'er."

"Go on, now, Mr. Malfoy. Step careful."

Draco felt the world whirl at millions of kilometers per hour beneath his feet as he stood. They were all just meat bags hurtling through space, after all. None of this even mattered. A humid breeze licked his face. Had Tom walked him to the door? But the barman was nowhere to be seen, and thankfully the road was empty for Draco to stumble across it. The breeze vanished and Draco then heard a disembodied and husky voice coming from somewhere in the dark in front of him.

"-could not see where the sphinx went. With a-" The voice stopped. "Malfoy, what-"

"D-aco!"

Something very solid slammed into Draco's knees, and the world rocketing beneath him reached up and punched him in the back of the head. Had he sat down? It felt like a chair under him.

"Teddy!" the first voice called.

But the second voice, that sweet honey in Draco's ears, wasn't deterred by the first voice's alarm. "D-aco back!"

"Hold on, Teddy, I think...oh, for the love of...Teddy, come on, I don't think Mal-Draco feels very good."

Draco's head spun as he blindly reached forward and wrapped his arms around the bundle on his lap; _Teddy_, the little boy that made everything _better_. Draco didn't have to continue the cycle. He wasn't going to. He was going to break that cycle with enough force to...to...

"Okay, let's finish this book, Teddy. Then it's bedtime."

Who _was_ that? Draco's eyes were closed again, but he knew that voice. As he wondered, though, he felt little lips on his cheek, thin arms around his neck. Teddy was back in his arms, hugging him. Had he even left?

"Ni', ni', D-aco."

"G'ni', 'e'y. I-I love 'ou s' much," Draco slurred. Hopefully Teddy got the gist.

Teddy's weight was gone. The air around Draco was quiet but for a distant singing, deep and melodic and stirring something behind Draco's closed eyes. He quite liked the singing. He could listen to that singing forever.

A warm hand wrapped around his upper arm and gently tugged on him. But Draco only shifted in the cushions, having no desire to move now that he knew he was home. There was a soft groan, then Draco felt someone wrap an arm around his waist and haul him to his feet. Swaying horribly, Draco opened his eyes.

There were three Harry Potters looking at him from a foot away.

"Heyyy."

The Potters' brows furrowed, lips all turned down. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm t'ched, P-P-Parry." Draco giggled. "Worry 'bout me of'n?"

"You're going to die. How much did you drink? I'm getting pissed just smelling you."

"I 'lly should 'ug 'e'y mo', shou'n't I?"

The Potters snorted. "Want to try that again?"

"Hug. Ted. Dy. More," Draco said slowly. "Me. Tha's...tha's how I 'urned out so-so-so...me. No hugs."

The hand around Draco's waist squeezed. Draco shimmied a little. Were he and Potter embracing? No, Potter was leading him somewhere. Draco's feet weren't really working. He supposed it was a good thing Potter was freakishly strong enough to slam him against a wall and carry his deadweight. Draco opened his eyes - they really needed to stop closing on their own - and saw that there were only two Potters now. They were shaking their heads.

"I was actually going to tell you that maybe you had a point about Teddy learning to sleep on his own."

A wild laugh burst from Draco, then the world spun around him dangerously as he free-fell hundreds of meters into a void he could not see. He landed on what felt like his bed.

Potter's voice filtered over Draco like marching ants. "I still think you could stand to be more affectionate, but...but I'll work on putting him to bed a little less..."

"Coddley?"

"Sure."

Draco's feet were cold. Had Potter removed his shoes?

"Where do you keep your sobering potions?" Potter asked.

"None," he snickered.

"Er...what? You don't have any?"

"If I did, then 'at's the poin' o' gettin' dr-drunk?"

Did Potter just sigh at him? There was a long silence, and Draco was sure he was going to fall asleep. But then a soft thud tickled his eardrum.

"I have some water on your table here. Enjoy your hangover."

Feeling cheeky, Draco swallowed and practically sang, "It's w'rth it to for-forget w'at a piece o' drag'n dung I 'm, 'arry. Even if jus' for-for a few...few hours."

Quiet followed Draco's admission. He wondered if he'd be embarrassed if he were sober. Likely.

The bed dipped a little on his left. Potter was saying something, his voice soft and...concerned? But Draco's bed was stronger than his desire to listen what was likely just a slew of insults. Sleep overtook him.


	10. Chapter 10

"Come on, Teddy, just a bite?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Harry clenched his teeth. "You're going to eat your dinner, Teddy. You haven't eaten since two. You've got to be hungry."

"No. I not hungwy." Teddy crossed his arms and pointed his nose up at the bowl of cheese noodles in front of him, and it took all of Harry's self control not to scream with frustration.

July was drawing to a close, as was the weekend, and Harry was fighting the same battle he and Teddy waged every night at dinner. After Teddy ate a small snack in the early afternoon, usually a handful of crackers or some fruit, he refused to eat anymore for the day unless it was yogurt or sweets. It was maddening. He was going to keel over one day.

"You've got to eat more, Teddy," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "You can't grow if you don't eat."

"No."

With a savage stab at his own bowl, Harry muttered, "You ought to be grateful we feed you so well."

Teddy just pursed his lips tighter together, twisting in his chair to face away from the food.

"Well, you're not leaving this table until you take a bite!" Harry snapped. "You can take a bite and see how much you like it and how hungry you are, or you can just sit here until bathtime. You're not getting up until you eat or we're getting in the bath, you hear me?"

Teddy didn't respond. Grinding his teeth and not feeling terribly hungry himself anymore, Harry shoveled the rest of his own dinner into his mouth before leaving the table. He went about the kitchen, cleaning the day's messes as he watched his godson out of the corner of his eye. The toddler was stiff in his chair, still pointedly not looking at the stupid bowl of noodles. Harry glanced at the clock. Bathtime was still almost an hour away. Surely he'd eat just to be rid of it and go play?

But, after scrubbing the kitchen until it was spotless, Harry found Teddy's noodles still untouched when it came time to run the bathwater. It was incredible, Teddy's stubbornness. It had to be a Black trait. As the clock chimed lightly, the usual sound that alerted Teddy for the bath, Harry stomped over to the table and snatched up the bowl.

"Teddy, you're going to eat this," he said. "Whether it's for breakfast tomorrow, lunch, dinner, you're going to eat these noodles."

Glaring at the floor, Teddy didn't react.

"Ugh! Go get ready for the bath, Teddy. I'll...I'll be there in a second."

Teddy bolted from the room, both further irritating Harry and making him wonder if he was being ridiculous. They were just noodles. Harry threw the bowl into the refrigerator, muttering.

There wasn't as much playing in the bath as usual. But when Harry pulled on Teddy's pajamas, the toddler was quite eager to read one of the new books Hermione had bought him, attitude totally flipped from the stubborn anger at dinner. Smiling, giggling, acting just as silly as he usually did, Teddy listened attentively as Harry read through the picture book three times. When Harry called it quits and led Teddy into his room, nothing seemed out of sorts as Harry tucked his godson into the blankets, sang a few lullabies, then gave him a hug and kiss before walking out of the room.

But Harry was still annoyed.

"Hey."

Harry looked up from his reading for an upcoming theory exam a couple hours later. Draco was at the foot of the couch, just home from work.

It had taken the better part of a month for them to fully adjust to calling one another by their first names. But once Harry had discarded 'Malfoy' for 'Draco,' he admittedly had a strange, subconscious shift in how he saw Draco. Nothing more had really changed between them aside from interacting more often, but Harry had noticed a very steep decline in the intensity of their arguments since the switch.

"Hey," Harry returned.

Draco drifted into the kitchen, softly clattering as he unloaded a few things and helped himself to the fridge. He returned a minute later, carrot sticks in hand and brow quirked.

"Fighting the good fight with cheesy noodles again? I saw the bowl."

Harry groaned. "It's not even about the bloody noodles. If he'd just take a couple bites at dinner, I'd leave him alone!"

"But you wouldn't. You'd complain about him not clearing his plate."

"He has to be hungry. There's no way he just isn't hungry after two every day. There's no way. He's going to starve."

Draco rolled his eyes. "He's _not_ going to starve. No biological creature would inadvertently let themselves starve, and I severely doubt that Teddy's willingly chosen anorexia at two years old."

"It's just ridiculous!" Harry said, throwing his back against the cushions with a frustrated grunt. "He has all this food he can pick from - he's not even a choosy eater! He likes nearly everything he puts in his mouth but he just _won't fucking eat_? Ever? It's infuriating! Do you know how much I'd have liked to be allowed to just eat whenever I wanted growing up? The first Welcoming Feast I went to as Hogwarts nearly killed me because I ate so much. Growing up on moldy cheese in that cupboard under the stairs made it so hard to eat a normal amount once I could. Not that I want Teddy to gorge himself all the time, but if he keeps this up, he's going to end up not being _able _to eat, and I don't want that for him." Harry reached up to massage his shoulders, taking a deep breath to try and settle. "I just...I just wish he ate more and didn't act like I was beating him when I asked him to. There are worse punishments than being told to eat the food you asked for."

Draco didn't reply right away, but Harry could hear him chewing near the foot of the couch. After several seconds, though, Harry raised his head to look at Draco. That sneer would be perfectly placed, smug insult on the tip of his tongue and ready for the moment he swallowed.

But it wasn't. Draco's eyes were narrowed, filled with utter confusion. "Were you...were you starved as a child? Did you live under a staircase?"

"Wh-" Heat rose in Harry's cheeks. "I...well, no, I wasn't _starved_, I just...my aunt and uncle weren't big on magic. So whenever I accidentally did any, I was punished. Usually that involved withholding a meal or two, or locking me in the cupboard where I slept under the stairs." Draco's eyes were growing huge, and Harry's face was hotter than ever as he hastily continued, almost defensive. "It wasn't that small when I was a kid, really. And they let me take the spare bedroom just before I went to Hogwarts. And...and they stopped refusing me food as a punishment the summer after fifth year."

They held each other's gaze for several seconds too long. Harry was the first to turn away. This had to be about how Draco felt when they had their row before the Remembrance Ceremonies. It was horribly intimate.

With a grunt, Harry stood and headed for the kitchen.

"I'll just toss the food," he sighed.

Draco stepped in front of him. "Teddy eats more than I think you realize. It's just more snacks than meals."

"A bunch of snacks can't be enough to sustain him."

"I think Teddy is just stubborn-"

"You've got that right," Harry grumbled.

"-but during the week, at least, he's not shy about asking for food when he's hungry. And as long as his snacks are good for him, he's not going to be lacking anything." When Harry just sighed again, Draco continued. "He's really not going to starve, you know. He shouldn't be responsible for eating all the food you couldn't have as a child."

"That's...ugh, that's not what I was trying to do."

"Just try to stop worrying over it so much. Teddy's growing just fine. However," Draco said with a slight smirk, "now that you've told him he has to eat that bowl, you can't just toss it."

"And why not? He's not going to eat it just to be stubborn."

"You've got to show him that you follow through."

"That's all well and good, but I work tomorrow. I couldn't force him to eat those noodles even if I wanted to anymore."

Draco shrugged. "Then I'll make him in your absence."

Lips twisting, Harry dropped his brows as he looked Draco in the eye. He had been fighting with Teddy over food for as long as he had guardianship over him, and there had been more than one argument between himself and Draco over it in that time. But for the first time, Draco seemed to be making a genuine offer to be on Harry's side. Part of him wondered what the catch was, but all Harry could bring himself to say was, "Uh...thanks."

Shrugging again, Draco took another bite of his carrot sticks and turned toward his bedroom. He waved a hand over his shoulder. "Not a problem. I'm really good at being the bad guy."

Harry chuckled, dropping back onto the couch. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to be the bad guy, he thought. At least Teddy would eat the noodles.

* * *

Draco's heart was pounding. His shins were aching, his sides were cramping, his lungs were burning with the desperation with which he ran. Only blackness was before him, and Draco ran blindly from the horrors at his ankles. Though he couldn't see it, the earth dropped into a chasm only meters from him, and the moment he felt it was right, Draco launched himself into the air. But his jump was ill-timed. He began falling, falling into an abyss so deep that even his intuition couldn't predict the depth. Draco's stomach disappeared and his blood turned to ice as he fell further and further into nothingness, his death racing up on him with startling speed.

Gasping, Draco awoke.

His room was nearly as dark as his dream, but that was all Draco could recall of it. Thankfully, he had never been good at remembering his dreams. Now that he had plenty of fodder for the worst kinds of nightmares, he was even more grateful for that lacking ability. But the fear lingered in him despite the lost memories of why, and Draco sat up to chug the glass of water beside his bed.

Then he heard a door open.

As he stared at his very stationary bedroom door, Draco realized that Teddy must be awake. Draco moved to cracked open his door to peek in the living room.

Teddy's little silhouette crept in the darkness, surprisingly careful not to make a sound as he crossed the carpet to the couch. But then the boy jumped directly onto Harry's unconscious body.

"Fuck!" Harry cried out.

Draco groaned inwardly, wishing Harry would watch his language around Teddy better. But Harry croaked something else, too soft and garbled for Draco to hear.

"I say I yuv you!" Teddy half-shouted.

The blankets and bodies shifted suddenly, Harry frantically shushing Teddy. "Teddy, you have got to learn how to whisper!" he hissed, sounding more awake.

Whispering, Teddy asked, "Why?"

"You don't want to wake Draco."

"Why...why you seep couch? And not...not bed?"

"Well, your bed's a little small for me."

"No, D-aco's bed."

"Oh, er, well, the couch is my bed. That's...that's why."

"I want D-aco wif us."

Harry chuckled softly. "I doubt Draco wants to share his big bed with me, Teddy."

"But why?"

"People only sleep in the same bed if they love each other."

Teddy didn't say anything, and after several seconds, Draco wondered if perhaps the boy had fallen asleep. He was about to turn back to his own bed when he heard Teddy whisper, "But...but Ha-wee D-aco yuv each uh-ver."

Draco tensed with a full-bodied cringe, supremely glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of that conversation. He couldn't see Harry's face in the dark, but Draco could hear a few small noises coming from him, as though wanting to say something but unable to find the right words. Draco couldn't blame him.

"I...look, Teddy, it's late," Harry finally whispered. "Let's just lie down and get some sleep, yeah?"

"Ha-wee yuv D-aco," Teddy insisted, sounding put out. "Want D-aco wif us."

"Come on, Teddy, please? We're not going to go wake Draco up right now, it's three in the morning."

Teddy grumbled a bit, but as there wasn't anymore conversation, Draco assumed that the boy had accepted Harry's plea. Draco turned back to his bed, shaking his head as he pulled the covers over himself. Uncomfortable even just listening to that as he had been, Draco was privately glad that at least he wasn't alone in those sorts of conversations with Teddy. The worst one was when Draco had been tucking Teddy into bed one evening and the boy asked him why he didn't kiss Harry goodnight. Draco's flustered, 'Because I don't want to kiss him,' hadn't been enough for Teddy, and they had spent about five minutes going back and forth, Teddy growing more and more insistent, until Draco had finally just walked out of the room.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Draco chuckled silently to himself. Children.

* * *

After carefully moving Teddy back to his own bed shortly after six that morning without waking anyone, Harry spent his twentieth birthday going through his typical paces at the Ministry. Grappling, defensive spell practice, droning lectures on muggle safety, then running in place for nearly an hour, it wasn't a particularly spectacular birthday, but after his decade of only having the Dursleys to set the standard, Harry hardly minded.

"Fancy a quick birthday drink?" Ron asked as they rode the lifts after work. "Hermione said she'd take off work early to come with us if I could convince you. I know Malfoy works at five, but we can squeeze in a quick pint, you reckon?"

Harry grinned. "Actually, he's free tonight, so we don't even have to be quick."

"Excellent."

Despite Mondays usually being Draco's psychotherapy appointments, he had told Harry over the weekend that his healer had moved the appointment to Saturday for a family event of some sort. Typically, it wouldn't have affected Harry much, but now he was glad for the extended freedom. He hadn't been out with just Ron and Hermione in ages.

Ron chose a more modern bar that was deeper in downtown London, hidden behind a streetlamp with no light. Hermione frowned at the Salem theme, but Harry thought it was fascinating.

"Happy birthday on us," Ron said with a grin as he bought them a round of drinks. "To another year, yeah?"

They drank, the drink warm and pleasant against Harry's tongue.

"So," Harry said as he set the glass down. "How's married life?"

"Well, one month in, I think it's going quite well," Hermione said.

"Almost as good as it was before we were married."

Hermione shot Ron a quick frown before turning back to Harry. "How about you, though? How are things with Teddy and Draco?"

Ron shivered. "It still doesn't sound right, calling him that."

"I don't know, it's easier now," Harry said. "Honestly, I think calling him something different helped. We still don't agree on much, but we haven't been at each other's throats in weeks."

"Personally, Harry, I think that's wonderful news."

"Personally, Harry, I think that's absolutely mental."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It'll make living together easier, Ron. What, do you want Harry to be miserable and having a row everyday for the next year so you don't have to hear Draco's name?"

"...no?"

Harry snorted into his wine. Had had missed this, feeling like things hadn't changed as much as they had. He easily could have ended up cut out from Ron and Hermione once they started dating. Having their friendship, especially through everything they had gone through in the past and now things with Teddy and Draco, was completely invaluable to Harry. Rather emotional about it suddenly, he blinked a few times and joined in the conversation. Things were easy these days. There weren't any mysteries to solve, dark wizards to best, classes to pass, homework to do, even places to be besides work. Since gaining Teddy, Harry hadn't spent as much time with his friends as he would have liked, and as he sat and talked easy with Ron and Hermione for a little over an hour that afternoon, the comfort of their friendship warmed him more than the wine.

"Well," Hermione said, glancing at her watch. "It's nearing half past five. Crookshanks will be needing his dinner."

Ron threw his head back exasperatedly. "You're putting that cat above your best friend's birthday? That's downright cold, 'Mione."

"I am not-"

"It's really okay," Harry cut in, trying not to laugh. "Between Saturday and this, I think my birthday's been properly celebrated. Besides, I want to get back and see Teddy. Thanks for the drink. I'll have to make some time to do this again soon."

Ron stood, taking Harry's hand. "You really will. It's been too long, mate."

"Happy birthday, Harry," Hermione said with a kiss to his cheek.

"Yeah, happy birthday."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, Ron."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Hermione's groan was the last thing Harry heard as he turned on the spot just outside the bar, Disapparating home.

It smelled weird.

"Ha-wee!" Teddy was already on Harry's leg, hugging him and trying to pull himself into an embrace. Harry obliged, breathing deep as he tried to place the smells around them. "Happy bifday!" Teddy squealed.

Harry blinked in surprise. "Thanks, Teddy. How'd you know it's my birthday?"

"D-aco!"

"Draco?"

"D-aco telled me!"

"Draco _told_ you."

"D-aco told me!" Teddy wriggled, wanting down, then grabbed Harry by the hand and began dragging him toward the kitchen. "We making enchichas!"

"Er...what?"

"Enchichas!" Teddy repeated happily as they stepped into the kitchen. The strange smells hit Harry full force then, not at all unpleasant but strong. It was then he realized he was smelling cumin.

"Enchiladas?"

"Enchichiladas!"

"Why are you two making enchiladas?"

Draco, bent over the counter with his back to them, looked over his shoulder. "Well, when I told him it was your birthday, he wanted to bake a cake, but quite frankly, I didn't want to deal with that. So he decided he wanted to make you a special dinner. One thing led to another and here we are." He turned back to the sauce he was stirring. "I'm not entirely sure I'm making this right, though."

Harry stepped up beside Draco and peered down at the recipe he had propped against the wall. It didn't look terribly complicated, but the sauce in the pan was slightly thicker than the directions described.

"It smells fantastic," Harry said. Now that he could place the spices, the sauteing beef and onions alongside the red sauce smelled quite appetizing. "Even if it's not right, it's probably delicious."

"I'd rather get it right."

"Oh, come on, Draco, let loose a little. They're just enchiladas."

"This is probably why you failed Potions in school."

Laughing, Harry helped Teddy pull up a chair to the counter. "I didn't fail. I had to get good enough marks to be accepted into the Auror program, didn't I?"

Draco glanced at Harry, looking as though he wanted to both laugh and sneer. Somehow, he was able to convey both pretty well. Harry chuckled as he let Teddy unwrap the tortillas so he could steam them.

It was surprisingly enjoyable, working together on the enchiladas. While Draco silently fretted over the filling, Harry used his wand to steam the tortillas. All three rolled the enchiladas by hand, placing them as aligned as possible in the baking dish before smothering the entire platter with cheese and sliding it into the oven. Even the clean up while their dinner baked was pleasant, Harry showing Teddy how to dry the dishes with a hand towel and Draco laughing at him when three different plates ended up in pieces that Harry had to repair.

At last, they sat down to eat.

"Mmm, these are amazing," Harry moaned around a mouthful. Although Draco's eyes rolled, Harry could see that he was trying not to smile.

Teddy, however, literally spat his first bite onto the table. "Bleh!"

"Teddy, we do not spit on the table!" Draco said, voice raised slightly. "Use your napkin and clean that up."

"Did..." Harry stifled a laugh. "Did you not like it?"

"Nuh-uh. Yogoht, pease?"

Draco rubbed his temples. "Sure. That's fine, Teddy. But wipe up that mess."

For once, Harry didn't mind the food issue. Sure, Teddy demolished two huge bowls of yogurt, but Harry knew he typically would have tried to force the main course. Instead, he slid the toddler's enchiladas onto his own plate and enjoyed them himself.

"I can take care of his bath if you're wanting a break," Draco said as they finished eating.

"That's...thanks."

"It's not an issue, I assure you."

But as he listened to Draco help Teddy with his clothes and climb into the tub fifteen minutes later, Harry wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do with the free time. As Draco was at work almost every evening during Teddy's bathtime, Harry wasn't used to not being a part of it. After only about thirty seconds of standing lost in the living room, Harry found himself hovering in the bathroom doorway, watching Teddy lie on his stomach in the water.

Draco tilted his head slightly at him. Harry just shrugged.

"Well, let's get you washed up," Draco said, moving to grab the soap.

"What? He just got in."

"And?"

"And bathtime is supposed to be fun," Harry said, dropping to his knees beside Draco and splashing his hands in the water next to Teddy. The toddler immediately broke out in giggles and smacked the water as hard as he could, sending a tiny shower down both Harry's and Draco's fronts.

Draco scoffed. "Of course you would indulge Teddy in such a messy activity when he's supposed to be getting clean."

"He will get clean. You and me, on the other hand..." Harry chuckled. "Come on, don't be such a drag. Can't you just enjoy how little and fun Teddy is right now?"

"I not little," Teddy said, hurrying to his feet and flexing his arms. "I big now!"

Harry nodded solemnly. "Yes, you're absolutely right, you are quite big now."

Practically throwing himself back into the water, Teddy plopped onto his bottom and began kicking the water excitedly.

"This is so unnecessarily messy," Draco muttered under his breath as Teddy did a full twist, giggling at the whirlpool effect it had on the water.

Harry nudged Draco with his shoulder, nodding at Teddy. "But look at that smile."

The unbridled joy plastered across Teddy's face was impossible not to catch. Harry's grin grew as he watched the toddler slither in the bath, fascinated with the way the water moved around him even after two years. Looking out the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco's face ease into one of those smiles he reserved just for Teddy.

It was only after Draco somehow ended up getting his hair soaked that Teddy was finally scrubbed clean, dried, and wrangled into his favorite pajamas. The sun was gone and the flat only glowed dimly from a lamp in the living room by which Teddy begged Draco to read him a few books. Again, Harry normally was the one who read to Teddy before bed and felt uncertain of what to do with himself. Draco and Teddy were curled up together on the couch, and Harry dropped into the large armchair across the room to simply watch. After several stories and a little unsuccessful begging to stay up later, Teddy gave Harry a hug and kiss and disappeared into his room with Draco, who emerged a few minutes later. Harry cleared his throat as Draco withdrew a book from the shelf next to him.

"Er...thank you," Harry said awkwardly. "I...well, thank you."

Draco blinked once, then shrugged as he turned away. "You're welcome. It wasn't any problem. And, ah...happy birthday."

It wasn't the most genuine birthday wish he had ever received, but as Harry watched Draco disappear into his bedroom, he thought that at least it wasn't the most unpleasant.


	11. Chapter 11

Waving his wand frantically, Harry vanished the smoke that filled the kitchen as quickly as he could. The clock read a few minutes until six, and Draco was due to return from his appointment any second. Harry did not fancy listening to the sneers about his abysmal cooking when that happened. Thankfully, the flat was smoke-free an entire thirty seconds before Draco Apparated into the living room.

"D-aco!" Teddy called, hurrying over. "D-aco, there was fire!"

"Excuse me?"

Harry groaned. Of course Teddy would give him away. But as Draco's frown turned to him, Harry tried to look nonchalant. "It wasn't a _fire_. It was like the size of a match."

"A what?"

"Like the tip of a wand. Tiny. Not even real flames."

Draco scoffed. "I should've known better than to trust you with flammable materials."

"I'm not-" But Harry stopped as Draco strode past him into the kitchen, Teddy in his arms. "Whatever."

A few minutes later, they were all seated around the table, fried chicken that was absolutely not born of fire on their plates. Teddy took such an enormous bite that he couldn't even close his mouth to chew, and Harry had a very sudden understanding for Mrs. Weasley's exasperation at Ron all the time. By the look of disgust on Draco's face across from him, Harry was sure he wasn't alone.

"You know, Teddy's almost two and a half," Draco said after several minutes.

"Yeah?"

"We ought to start toilet training him."

"Oh. Is he a bit young? When do kids normally toilet train?"

"He's actually right about the average age for children to start."

"Hm." Harry swallowed a bite. "Has he been acting like he's ready? I don't think he even knows what a toilet is for."

"It doesn't matter. It's our job to make him ready."

"Is this another one of your independence obsessions?"

"I am not obsessed with independence," Draco snapped, eyes narrowed. Neither had talked about Draco's drunken night weeks ago, but ever since then Harry had noticed a distinct defensiveness about Draco anytime the subject arose. With pursed lips, Draco continued, "I just don't think babying Teddy forever is going to do him any favors."

"Does that include sleeping with you?" Harry teased. "I've seen him with you in the mornings sometimes. You ought to relax about trying to get him to grow up."

Draco's mouth fell open. "Why in Merlin's name would you think it's okay to look in my bedroom while I'm sleeping?"

"Oh my-ugh, it's not like that. I check on Teddy every morning before I go to work, and when he's not in his bed or on the couch, where else would I look?" Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's sour grimace. "You know, it's probably not the end of the world to let Teddy lead us a bit with some things. I don't think he's going to be ready to toilet train."

"Noted," Draco said stiffly. "I think I'll give it a shot this week, however, just to see how it goes."

Harry shrugged. It didn't really affect him, he supposed. With a glance at Teddy, Harry sighed. "Come on, Teddy, take a few more bites, please? Then you can be done."

"He ate pretty well today, so don't push it. Otherwise, we'll just end up with a meltdown."

Regardless, Teddy was already shoving another huge bite into his mouth, and Harry finished his own dinner with a grin. As he moved to start the clean up, he listened to Draco introduce Teddy to the idea of wearing underwear and sitting on the toilet. But as Teddy only asked if he could be finished eating at the end of Draco's speech, Harry wondered just what Draco was getting himself into.

x-x-x

"Isn't Teddy a bit young to be toilet training?"

"That's exactly what I said."

"Malfoy's mental, I swear. I don't know how you stay sane."

"He's not that bad, really." Harry yawned, checking the clock. Once they returned from their break, there would only be another half hour until they were dismissed for the physical training that ended their day. "We may as well go back, there's only a minute left."

Ron shrugged, following Harry as they made their way back to the bland conference room where most of their instruction on department policy took place. Necessary as much of it likely was, it never ceased to be endlessly boring. But as their instructor, a thinning old Auror named Lawrence Planters, shuffled in, his words had everyone sitting up a little straighter.

"Azkaban." He reached the head of the table and unrolled a thin scroll. "Not quite what it once was."

Harry and Ron exchanged a quick glance. It was common knowledge that the dementors had been banished. Much else about the wizard prison was unknown, save for that it had required a huge sum of gold to remodel.

"Once upon a time," Planters said, "there was little Aurors needed to know about the prison. You capture the dark witch or wizard, take them there, and leave them in the spindly hands of the dementors. Now, the Ministry is in the final stages of creating and entire subdepartment to fill the prison with Aurors of a special training to maintain the facility."

"Who is watching the prison now, sir?" one of the trainees asked.

"Currently, it's a poor hodgepodge of those from regular law enforcement as well as the Aurors that we can spare. It's the Ministry's hope that, once some foundations are set, there will be a separate training program for Aurors that wish to specialize in guarding the prison."

"When will that take place?"

"At this time, most of the policies for the prison, prisoners, and Aurors have been signed off on, which I will be going over in detail in just a moment, although they are quite straightforward. As for the subdepartment I mentioned, I believe the administrations are hoping to have the framework in place by the end of the summer. The ideal is to accept a fresh wave of Azkaban-Auror hopefuls into a year-long training program at the conclusion of this year's winter holidays."

Harry frowned, surprised. The Ministry always took ages doing anything they already knew how to do. To set in motion a brand new program on the scale that it would have to be for refurbishing Azkaban with specially-trained guards...Harry expected another year or more before even hearing news of change.

"The Ministry has pushed for these reformations to be swift," Planters continued, correctly interpreting the murmurs that broke out. "Swift but as correct as possible, as there has been increasing...unrest inside the prison." He paused, scanning through the scroll in his hand. "Now, let's run through these policies. To begin-"

"What sort of unrest are you talking about, sir?" Harry asked.

The old Auror looked up, frown deepening the wrinkles in his face as he lowered the scroll. "Well, those in Azkaban for...well, it's the Death Eaters and their sympathizers that are causing much of the trouble. Those that were imprisoned before the dementors' leave know there is a weakness in the system now, and those that arrived after are only giving strength to the revolts. It is making the containment of these parties more difficult than I think many imagined." When no one else spoke, Planters returned to his scroll. "So, to begin, we will..."

Harry's mind immediately began to wander, thinking of what the unprepared Ministry staff must be struggling to handle behind the prison's new walls. It was how Lucius Malfoy had been murdered, riots in the prison that were led by those most devoted to Voldemort.

"I know what we'll be doing is considered dangerous or whatever," Ron muttered in Harry's ear, "but I don't fancy having to handle _that_ on a daily basis."

Harry shook his head, agreeing.

"It won't be long before there's a break out, mark my words," Ron said darkly. "Maybe you and Malfoy toilet training Teddy early isn't mental. Not compared to the nutters that sign up to guard Azkaban of their own free will."

When Harry returned home that afternoon, however, he wondered just how much merit Ron's sentiment really had. Draco was pinching the bridge of his nose as he leaned against Teddy's bedroom door frame, looking all the part praying for patience, as Teddy screamed from somewhere behind him.

"So..." Harry cleared his throat and tried not to grin when Draco opened his eyes to look at him. "Er, how did toilet training go?"

Draco expelled a huge breath he had apparently been holding, frustration coming out in a low whine. "If he would just have a single success, he'd catch on immediately. But he just..._refuses_ to tell me when he's about to go. He's had to be cleaned up eight times today."

"Does he just not tell you? Should you maybe try to remind him instead?"

"Oh, yes, Harry, you're absolutely right," Draco said sarcastically. "I couldn't have figured that out myself, definitely not. No, I just let him wander the flat all day expecting him to just tell me when he was ready on Day One of toilet training. Thank Merlin you're here to set me straight. Where would anyone be without The Boy Who Knows All to help us-"

"I was just going off what you've told me," Harry snapped.

"Well, I have reminded him and taken him to the toilet every half hour to sit and try, but after the first few times, he began running from me and turning it into this insane game-"

"Have you guys been out today or yesterday?"

"Out?"

"Yes, Draco," Harry sighed. "Like outside, for him to run around, get some fresh air. He's always a nightmare when he's cooped up. Besides, seeing other kids would be good for him. He's around adults all the time. He should hang out with other kids."

"I-" Draco cut himself off, rubbing his eyes as he glanced back into Teddy's room. The screaming had stopped, replaced with the sounds of subdued playing. Draco's hands dropped back to his sides. "We haven't been out much this week, no. There's not a good park that I know of for magical families only, and Teddy doesn't remember to keep his magic in check all the time."

Harry nodded, having encountered similar issues in the past. "But still, you should try. It keeps him sane and more likely to listen."

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I can't parade around for muggles a child that can change appearance at will and turns birds into chickens."

Harry snorted. "When has he done that?"

"The last time we walked to the market, unfortunately," Draco muttered, walking toward the kitchen. "On top of that, however, with toilet training, I didn't fancy dealing with accidents while outside."

Rolling his eyes, Harry made his way into Teddy's room while Draco readied for work. The little boy looked miserable. Eyes puffy from his crying and lips pulled back in a grimace, Teddy moved a handful of figurines around the carpet beneath him while making little noises on their behalf. But when he caught sight of Harry, Teddy's face split into a smile and he launched himself into his godfather's arms.

"Ha-wee! You back!"

"I am! And I heard you've had a rough day-" Teddy nodded vigorously. "-so what do you say you and I go to the park?"

"Park?"

"Yes, sir."

"Park!" Teddy squealed, taking off to run a few laps around his room. Harry let the sight fill him up, but his smile faltered as Draco appeared in the doorway looking irritated.

"You're taking him out?"

"Yep."

"After everything I just told you?"

"...yes?"

"This is going to be a disaster."

"No, it won't be." Harry crossed his arms. "We've been to the park before. You're just scared of a little parenting."

Scowling with the same intensity Harry remembered from Hogwarts, Draco's ears turned bright pink as he stiffly said his goodbyes to Teddy. Without another look at Harry, Draco strode to the living room and Disapparated.

Harry shrugged. "Alright, Teddy," he said, turning back to the toddler. "Let's get moving, hm?"

Not quite caring how furious it would likely make Draco, Harry changed Teddy into a clean nappy before they left. Teddy needed the energy release more than he needed to be toilet trained. Besides, a few hours' break from what was probably a very stressful day would do Teddy good.

Harry Apparated them to the only park he knew about in London, a muggle one that was between his old flat and the market he had used to frequent. It was large and almost always busy, making it easy to conceal or hide any magic Teddy might let slip in the chaos. Harry hadn't been there in a few weeks, as he and Teddy had been enjoying the open grassy area outside their building for simple games of chase lately. They both took a deep inhale of the playground's smells the moment they arrived, stepping out from the shield of a large rosebush. Teddy's face lit up at the large, wooden structures and metal attachments, his entire body quivering with excitement at Harry's side. He gave Teddy a nudge, and Harry released Teddy's hand, watching as he vanished among the other children.

Everything was fantastic until the stair incident.

Barely an hour had gone by and Harry was already beginning to wonder about making their way home for dinner when it happened. He spotted Teddy at the base of a narrow set of stairs that led to a short twisting slide. A smaller child, perhaps a year and a half old, was carefully climbing the stairs a few steps ahead of Teddy. Harry could tell from how Teddy was shifting back and forth on his feet that he was growing impatient, but before Harry could do more than take a few strides closer, the stairs abruptly flattened into themselves, turning into a wooden slide. Teddy fell backwards to his bottom, the smaller child's chin smacked the wood, and together they both slid the meter down into the dirt. Teddy giggled, but Harry heard the other child begin to cry.

"Oh my lord! Emma!" A muggle woman was lifting the child into her arms in an instant, also reaching down to help Teddy to his feet. As Harry hurried over, the woman's eyes met his. "Did you see that? The stairs just...they just collapsed!"

"Er..." Harry brought Teddy to his side, hand tight around his wrist. "I-I-I thought this was a side, wasn't it?"

"No, no, these were stairs!" the woman said, now staring wildly at the wood. "Look, you can't even tell anymore! Must be those tax cuts I've been hearing about; no quality these days, and now look! Children can't even play without worry of the country falling apart on them!"

"No, I really think it was a slide-"

"A _wooden_ slide?"

"I-I'm sorry, we've got to go." And turning as fast as though trying to Disapparate, Harry began to drag Teddy away from the frightened woman. As they drew closer to the rosebush and away from the muggles, Harry hissed at Teddy, "You cannot do magic around muggles, Teddy, you know that."

"Wait, wait, wanna stay!"

"I know, but we can't-"

"Wanna stay!"

Feeling the eyes of the nearest muggles turning to watch him drag a screaming child toward the bushes, Harry's entire body grew scorching hot as he lifted Teddy into his arms. Teddy whined.

"Teddy, it's nearly dinnertime anyway, we're not-"

"WANNA STAY! NO!"

Gritting his teeth, Harry all but ran to the backside of the bush and Disapparated.

x-x-x

So exhausted after work, the park, fighting dinner, and struggling through the tantrums that littered Teddy's bedtime routine that evening, Harry found himself already mostly asleep with the light on when Draco Apparated at the foot of the couch. Likely thinking Harry was asleep, Draco turned off the single light in the room and made his way to the kitchen.

"You were right about the park." Harry hadn't meant to talk, let alone blurt out perfect insult fodder for Draco to use against him.

"Ah...what?"

"You were right about the park," he repeated flatly. "Teddy turned a set of stairs into a slide and got another little kid hurt. The mum was frantic, thought the country was going to the bin. So we left, but Teddy was screaming like a lunatic so it looked like I was kidnapping him. So you were right. I shouldn't have taken him."

The silence was longer than Harry expected. Perhaps Draco uncharacteristically needed a moment to line up the perfect jibe.

"I wouldn't blame yourself too much," Draco said. It _was_ uncharacteristic, the understanding in his voice. "I have to think that raising a magical child in the heart of a predominantly muggle city is probably just hard. I'm sure it happens to loads of other magical families. Was the other child hurt badly?"

"I don't know...I think she just bumped her chin, though."

"Well, no real harm done. Children get hurt at parks every day. I'm sure she's fine."

"Maybe."

Harry rolled over, facing the back of the couch. His failure was still sticking to him as he listened to Draco unload his things before closing the bedroom door. Perhaps Draco was right and this was a common issue among magical families with small children, but it didn't make Harry feel any better. Not only had he gone against Draco's warnings but he had also let Teddy down. Harry sighed. No more parks. Teddy would just have to be okay with Harry and Draco for his only company.

x-x-x

"Ha-wee?"

"Mm?" Harry struggled to consciousness. "Teddy?" The clock read just after two in the morning, finally Friday. "Wha's the matter?"

"Dere's water in my bed."

After Harry had failed to put Teddy down for bed in underwear two nights in a row, Draco had been obnoxiously insistent that Harry do so. For all Draco's pushing for the toilet training nonsense, it appeared that Harry would be the one changing the sheets in the middle of the night. But he didn't want Teddy to think he was annoyed at _him_, so Harry simply yawned as he helped clean up Teddy and his bed in the darkness.

"I seep wif you?"

"Er...not tonight, Teddy."

"Cause my bed got wet?"

"Because if you wet the couch, it'd be a lot harder to clean than your bed, that's all," Harry said gently. "You're not in trouble."

Teddy nodded, climbing under his covers. "Stay?"

"Okay, but just for a minute or two, okay?"

"Otay."

A minute or two turned into four hours, and it was only by chance that Harry happened to hear his alarm beeping from the living room in time to shower and leave for work. His body ached from being twisted up with Teddy in his minuscule toddler bed, which made work a living hell. For six straight hours Harry, Ron, and the other trainees sat in metal chairs for theoretical exams on paper, and it was only after that when Harry's cramped muscles finally received the stretching they desperately needed in his physical exams. He didn't perform quite as well as he usually did, but as he didn't come in last, Harry didn't count the event as a loss. But after the misery of work, Harry wanted nothing more than to crash onto the couch and not move for the entire afternoon.

His fatigue vanished as he Apparated into the living room, however, replaced with intense curiosity.

Someone was singing.

Careful not to make a sound for fear of disrupting, Harry crept his way across the carpet to Draco's open bedroom door, from where the music was drifting. Was that a guitar?

"Think I'm...I'm lost in the undergrowth,  
So much I woke up.  
I love you all the same."

The melody was slow, an odd weave of sorrowful and optimistic. And as Harry came to stand in the doorway, he fought the instinct to gasp in surprise.

"But you stole the sun from my heart," Draco sang, crouched on the floor of the far wall with a muggle guitar in his lap. Teddy sat directly in front of him, smacking the wood sporadically.

"You stole the sun from my-  
You stole the sun from my heart.  
You stole the sun from-  
You stole the sun from-"

Draco's eyes rose then, meeting Harry's and sharing the surprise there.

"I have...I've got to stop smiling.  
It gives the wrong impression."

His hand stopped strumming, letting the final note hang in the air as he continued singing softly, eyes leaving Harry's to look back at Teddy.

"I love you all the same."

Teddy immediately sat back on his heels, clapping as he hummed with delight. "Again, again!"

Draco smiled, but he stood and began to shelve the guitar. "Not just now, little one. I'll be needing to leave for work soon."

Teddy giggled, rolling onto his back.

"I didn't know you played the guitar," Harry said.

"I suspect there's a lot you don't know about me."

"You're pretty good."

Not quite suppressing a smirk, Draco turned his attention back to Teddy. "Do you need to-Teddy did you _just_ wet yourself?"

Happiness gone instantly, Teddy's face turned stony. "No."

"I can see your pants."

"NO!" With everything his little legs had, Teddy leaped to his feet and bolted for the door. Much as Harry would have liked to watch Draco chase a soiled toddler around before he went to work, Harry stepped in Teddy's way and grabbed his arm. He immediately turned into goo, sinking to the floor and kicking his feet. "NO!"

"Come on, Teddy, it'll just take a-"

"NO!"

Harry looked up at Draco, who was cleaning the carpet with his wand and muttering under his breath. Not caring to catch the bad end of _that_, Harry took care of Teddy, carrying him by the arm to his bedroom and wrestling him out of his wet clothes, wiping him down as much as you could wipe down a wild animal, and stuffing him into a fresh shirt and shorts. As if a switch had been flipped, Teddy's screams died down and he hugged Harry, who returned the embrace a little bewildered.

He left Teddy's room as the toddler opened a discarded book, dropping to the floor. Harry nearly smacked into Draco, who was seething in the hallway.

"I'm going to win," Draco growled. Teddy, turning the pages of his book, didn't seem to have heard or cared.

"You sound ridiculous."

"He's not stupid. He knows what he's supposed to do. He just won't. Thinks I'm just going to give up if he wets himself enough, well we'll just see-"

"Just give it a rest then," Harry said, chuckling at the completely deranged look in Draco's eyes. "He just must not be ready."

"You could help me instead of putting him in nappies when I'm not around," Draco snapped as he turned on Harry suddenly.

"What? I don't-"

"I know you do. I count what's in the drawer."

"That's...that's completely mental."

"The point is, you imbecile, you're sending Teddy mixed signals. I was sure you'd be bested by a lot of things but even I never imagined that a toddler would have been one of them."

Draco left Harry to fume alone in the hallway to leave for work. Harry's mind was racing, chasing different possibilities that would shove Draco's stupid toilet desires up his nose. He watched Teddy giggling at the pictures in his book for a few moments. Then it struck him exactly how he was going to beat Draco on his own turf. He crouched down next to Teddy with a wide smile.

"Hey, Teddy, how would you like to learn a new game?"

x-x-x

Hours later, Harry read through one of his textbooks on the couch but kept glancing at the clock. At half past nine, Draco appeared. Entirely too pleased with himself, Harry dropped the book right away and said, "Guess who didn't have a single accident the whole time you were gone."

"It's hard to have an accident when you're wearing a nappy," Draco scoffed.

"Count them," Harry said with a smug grin. "Go on, go count like a madman."

Frown deepening, Draco did just that after a moment's hesitation. He disappeared into Teddy's dark room, not making a sound as the seconds ticked by. When he emerged, Draco's eyes were narrowed.

"What did you do?"

"I tried."

"You probably just got lucky like you always have. Achieving the same feat for an entire day rather than a couple hours would be more reflective."

Harry opened his mouth to retort but was sidetracked when Draco abruptly offered him something. He took it, finding a scrap of parchment with an address on it, somewhere in southern London.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Since Teddy's most recent park fiasco, I've been asking around at work where a good alternative for magical children would be," Draco said, not looking at Harry in favor of scanning the bookshelf. "That address is for a park protected by what will appear to be an abandoned burial house. It seems to be the most popular one and the most secure."

"Wow, I...well, thank you."

Shrugging, Draco retrieved a book off the top shelf and made for his room. "Now you can quit whining and take Teddy for all the socialization you think a child could possibly need." Tossing a quirked brow over his shoulder, he added, "Maybe it'll help you, too, Mr. Cupboard Under the Stairs."

Harry groaned.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco looked up at the clock as he signed out of his shift, carefully writing the time: 9:28. Sundays were particularly slow for the Apothecary, leaving Draco plenty of time for the more tedious work that Lloyd could find him. Instead of kicking back with a book as he had seen the owner do on several occasions, Draco whittled away his twelve hours counting the eyes of gnats by hand, rotating the perishable ingredients, dusting the decades-old boxes of back-stocked scales, and other such mind-numbing tasks. When he had first started working at the Apothecary, Draco despised the menial work. Recently, however, it was somewhat nice not to think about anything in particular for hours on end. He found that he felt more refreshed for the week.

Draco locked up the shop behind him as he stepped onto the cobblestones of Diagon Alley. He made his way through the district in the darkness punctured by the oil-lanterns that glowed on metal stakes every several meters. Quaint as Diagon Alley was during the day, since his employment, Draco had taken a shine to the beauty the place reflected when the sun disappeared.

Something small and sharp struck the back of his head.

Quick as a flash, Draco turned around, robes fanning out slightly as he scanned the darkness. It wouldn't be the first time he had been sought out while leaving work. But after nearly two years, most of the London population either knew to avoid him or had already gotten their taunts out of the way.

Still, he wrapped his hand around his wand in his pocket.

If he was truly honest with himself, it wasn't those that he had opposed during the war that he feared. It was those that now sat behind bars or had fled the country after the Dark Lord's defeat. Those were the ones that would be merciless.

The night was calm, though, not betraying anything out of place as Draco waited tensely for several minutes. When he felt his nerves couldn't take anymore, he finally turned and hurried into the bar and to the Disapparation point. He could imagine he heard footsteps soft behind him the entire way, but Draco didn't have a particularly good imagination.

Harry was just walking into the living room from the bathroom, hair wet from the shower and clothes thankfully on, when Draco Apparated home. They gave each other a polite nod as Draco set his bag on the shelf and withdrew a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ he had picked up that morning.

"Any more accidents today?" he asked.

Harry grin was smug enough to kill. "Not a single one."

It was maddening. In a matter of two and a half days, Harry fucking Potter seemed to have toilet trained the most stubborn toddler in existence. Draco would have said the git was bluffing, that Harry was either just lying and cleaning up carefully every day or was actually just putting the child in nappies, but Draco knew neither could be true. Harry was one of the laziest people he knew. There was no way he could fool Draco into thinking he hadn't cleaned something when he had, and not a single nappy was missing since Draco counted them three days previous. Eyes locked in a silent battle for dominance, Draco glared for almost a full minute before curiosity got the better of him.

"How are you doing it?" he asked, dropping all pretense.

Beaming, Harry fell onto the couch. "I made it a game. We aim at cereal pieces and have chocolates for rewards for the rest."

Draco groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "That's all well and good for now, but do you plan on always using bribery to have him properly use the toilet?"

"Of course not. But we had to start somewhere, and it worked. Maybe this week you could work on weaning him off the treats."

"Oh, absolutely not," Draco said, annoyed. "I'm always the bad guy. _You_ can ruin his life next weekend."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't take you to be a coward."

Close enough to do so, Draco smacked the top of Harry's head with his newspaper. All it did was make Harry laugh, though, and Draco had to bite his cheek not to do the same. He turned for the kitchen.

"Fancy a cup of tea?"

Harry's brows shot up, vanishing into his mess of hair. Ears feeling warm, Draco was about to retract the offer when he heard Harry say, "Yeah, actually. Sounds great," and he stood up to follow.

"Did you try out that park?" Draco asked as he set the kettle and unrolled the newspaper on the countertop.

Harry leaned against the counter several paces away as he nodded. "We went both yesterday and today. Teddy loved it. The playscape is much taller than the muggle ones, so I had to keep him from jumping to his death every few minutes-"

"He probably would have just bounced or something. I doubt he needed your heroics."

"-and today there was a little girl with a toy broomstick and Teddy tried to steal it. Got pretty far, too, before I could catch him."

Draco chuckled, imagining it. Teddy wasn't particularly large for his age, but he could be fierce when determined to accomplish something.

"How was work?"

Barely lifting his shoulders, Draco made two cups of tea as the kettle steamed. He poured the water and offered one of the cups to Harry. "I fiddle with potion ingredients all day. I might have a talent for brewing, but the Apothecary is hardly exciting. But it's simple and pays well enough."

"Had you always wanted to do something in potions?" Harry asked. "Maybe not the Apothecary, but something where you could use it?"

"Not particular to potions, no."

"Oh. What had to wanted to do, then?"

Draco clenched his teeth, breathing slowly through his nose. It wasn't exactly a sensitive subject, not after all the years he had known he could never achieve his childhood dream, but he still didn't like being reminded of it. He shook his head, taking a long drink before answering. "It doesn't matter. I can't do it now anyway." Sensing Harry was about to press further, Draco asked, "Are you prepared for the interview with the Care-Seekers tomorrow?"

The color drained from Harry's face at a startling rate.

"What?" Draco asked. "What in Merlin's name has you so worried?"

"How are you not? This is our first interview since moving in together. And it's been months since they've seen me and Teddy. They probably are going to be expecting more drastic improvements. I mean, what if he's not doing as well as he's supposed to be? What if he wets himself while they're here? What if he screams the whole time? What if-"

"Whoa, stop, stop, stop," Draco said with a laugh. "This is ridiculous, the Chosen One stressing that the Ministry that loves him so much won't just adore him for existing."

"It's not ridiculous! You're going to look me in the eye and tell me you're not one bit nervous about meeting with them?"

Draco shook his head. "Not one bit."

"That's just because you're not the one up on display," Harry muttered.

"Exactly." But as Draco watched Harry sip his tea with pursed lips and worried eyes, that unfortunate pity stirred. "You know, the Care-Seekers aren't going to expect Teddy to be perfect. In any case, you're not _such_ a disaster that they'll remove Teddy from your care."

Harry glanced over with a frown, his eyes meeting Draco's. Sure, the Chosen Idiot looked confused, but it was the gratitude that filtered through that Draco noticed. His stomach cramped at the sight.

"That's mostly thanks to me, though," Draco deadpanned.

Harry snorted, throwing his head back to drain his tea. "Thanks," he grunted, setting the cup in the sink. "I think."

"Don't get used to it."

x-x-x

"Harry, I swear I will hex you if you don't _get out of my way_," Draco growled as he bumped into Harry for the fifth time in ten minutes. "You're not helping, so just sit down."

He did, but his knees bounced restlessly. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Look, I get you're worrying like a middle-aged witch but I for one am trying to get some dinner on the table so Teddy has a little bit of normalcy and still goes to bed at a decent time."

"I'm not-"

Draco whipped around, knife from spreading preserves still in his hand. "If you say you're not worried, I'm actually going to forgo magic and just stab you."

Harry's jaw locked. His knees continued to bounce. "That's just a butterknife, it's not like it'd do much damage."

"That'll just make it hurt more."

It was twenty after six, and the Care-Seekers were due at their door in ten minutes.

The Care-Seekers had made sure to schedule their appointment for when Draco could be present, something slightly off-putting but understandable. Although having the meeting so late would throw off Teddy's bedtime routine, which almost always resulted in significantly less sleep for everyone, Draco was glad that the Care-Seekers had chosen to accommodate around his psychotherapy rather than insisting he take off work. That would have been more of a headache with all the Ministry requirements of him.

But Harry was an absolute nightmare. He had made the flat unnaturally spotless in the hour that Draco had been gone but seemed to forget that Teddy still needed to eat dinner. So, with only half an hour to make something happen, Draco had decided to simply make sandwiches. Easy, except for Harry hovering at his back, apparently unsure of what to do with himself.

Draco reached to retrieve some plates. His hand smacked into Harry, knocking his glasses askew.

"That's it!" Draco snapped, grabbing Harry by the shoulders, forcefully turning him away, and shoving him out of the kitchen. "I don't give a damn what you do, just get the _fuck_ away from me!"

He finished setting their plates in a storm, grumbling about the oaf that was the Boy Who Lived. But he took a deep breath to reset before calling Teddy and Harry in to eat, remembering that on a typical day, they never touched and it was glorious.

Teddy was quite excited to be having a jelly sandwich, usually a snack food, for dinner. And while Draco was calm as he ate, Harry just stared at the clock. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Will you just relax? Your nerves are frying and I can smell the char," he sneered.

"Then stop smelling me."

"Merlin, Harry, you're _Harry Potter_," Draco said, somewhere between exasperated and furious. "The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, all those pretentious titles to go with that dragon-long list of achievements or whatever. Short of being a literal abuser, no one is going to take Teddy, who is thriving, by the way, away from you. So stop fretting like a granny and eat."

Harry's brows creased as he licked his lips, eyes bemused. But his shoulders slacked slightly, and a strange sense of triumph flitted through Draco when Harry went to pick up his sandwich. _There_ was the self-obsessed brat that knew his fame could carry him anywhere that Draco had known at Hogwarts. Not even a war, parenthood, and all the shit that fell between could stamp it out completely.

Then came the knock on the door.

Harry knocked over Teddy's cup of water, drenching the table. Draco dropped his head into his hands.

Harry immediately began to stutter. "Oh no, I-"

"Just go," Draco sighed, drawing his wand. "I've got it."

Harry hesitated but left, giving Draco the breathing room he had so desperately needed since he came home. Handling the mess, Draco glanced over at Teddy, who had eaten half of his sandwich but was now sticking his fingers through the remaining bread.

"Are you finished?" Draco asked. At Teddy's nod, he waved his hand and began collecting their plates. "Then you may go. Go say hello to our guests."

There was murmured conversation in the other room as Teddy vanished into it, leaving Draco to put his and Harry's plates on the countertop for later and Teddy's in the sink. With a quick check that everything was mostly in order, Draco exited the kitchen.

Jameson Cook and Kara Dribble looked as they always did; Mr. Cook tall, sturdy, and relaxed beside frail but sharp Ms. Dribble. They were smiling at Harry, who looked as though he was smelling something foul. Ms. Dribble was just breaking away to inspect the bookshelves when Mr. Cook noticed Draco.

"This is quite a place you have here, Mr. Malfoy," he said as Draco drew closer. "A touch more room than Harry's old flat."

"A touch?" Ms. Dribble barked. "That place was basically a closet with a balcony."

Draco suppressed a snort. Even when he had first met Ms. Dribble and she had given him the worst news possible, Draco liked the old witch.

"But this place," she continued, moving along the wall and opening a few drawers in the dresser that held Harry's things. "This place has promise for a growing child."

"Speaking of, where is young Teddy?" Mr. Cook asked.

"Oh, he probably ran straight to his room. Teddy?" Draco called. "Come in here, please."

For perhaps the fourth time in all Draco's time knowing him, Teddy obeyed the first time. He skipped into the living room with his favorite stuffed elephant and up to Draco, smiling all the way. "Hi, Dwaco."

"Hi. Care to say hello to our guests?"

Teddy glanced at Mr. Cook, then to Ms. Dribble, who was moving toward the bedrooms. "Uhm...hi."

Mr. Cook stepped forward, crouching to Teddy's level. "How have you been, Teddy?"

Teddy buried his face in Draco's legs, pulling at his robes to try and cover himself completely from view. Draco could feel Harry's panic from across the room.

"Sorry, he's usually not like that-" Harry began.

"Oh, no worries," Mr. Cook said as he stood and made his way to the armchair. "Most children his age are shy of strangers. It's a good thing." He sat, gesturing to the couch as he set up a rather expensive Quick-Notes Quill. "Please, sit down."

Draco and Harry dropped onto the couch at the same moment, both sitting as close to the end opposite of the other as possible. The cushions expelled a fresh fragrance that reeked of Harry, his essence that had seeped into the very body of the couch dousing them all. Draco drew Teddy into his lap, trying to breathe shallow.

"So, how are you three faring since moving in together?"

Harry glanced at Draco, who wanted nothing more than to groan. He really needed to teach Harry how to lie. Stay calm and confident, and make sure to sprinkle in enough truth so that it's impossible to separate what's false.

"About as well as we expected," Draco said smoothly. "There have been a few bumps, mostly in the beginning. But now that we've all settled on a routine that works, life has been pretty bland, to be honest."

"That's wonderful to hear. And Teddy? How has he handled the adjustment?"

"He's been great. Harry and I realized that we have different methods of lying him down for the night, so he's getting out of bed in the middle of the night more than I know he used to before the...accident." Draco shivering minutely at the phrase. While appropriate for the setting, he still hated how 'the accident' made the entire event sound...unreal. "But he's been getting better."

"Mmm, I remember when my own did that. Drove my wife bonkers," Mr. Cook chuckled. "But otherwise, he's sleeping well?"

Both Draco and Harry nodded.

"Eating okay? I know you had your concerns there in the beginning, Harry."

Harry swallowed loudly. "Well...he doesn't really...eat meals. He mostly just snacks."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Draco answered. "He's still getting all his food groups, though. He's anything but picky. I feel like he just doesn't like to eat a lot at once, so he has small portions throughout the day."

"Well, he certainly seems to be doing just fine," Mr. Cook said pleasantly, gesturing at Teddy. "I swear he's grown twenty centimeters since I last saw him. Perhaps you could speak with a pediatric healer about solutions if you're still concerned about it, though, Harry. Speaking of which, when is his next appointment?"

Harry's spine stiffened, and Draco knew immediately that no appointment had been scheduled yet. Thinking fast, he said, "I have the specific date written down somewhere, but it's toward the end of September."

"Excellent, excellent." Mr. Cook checked the parchment in his lap, then glanced at his notes. Draco chanced a look at Harry, who gave him a grateful nod. "And how have you two been getting along?"

How to answer? While it wouldn't be lying to say that they definitely hadn't tried to kill one another, it would be foolishly bold to say that they were practically friends, something that would likely make the Care-Seekers leap for joy. But, as Draco ran his fingers through Teddy's hair once, thinking on the past couple months, he realized that maybe he wouldn't have to lie as much as he had originally planned.

"Much better now," he said after a moment. "We had our issues at first, but we're doing well now."

"Not, ah...arguing, yelling, that sort of behavior, around Teddy?"

"Definitely not," Harry said, leaning forward. "Actually, we both talked about specifically not doing that before we even agreed to room together. We...well, I'd say we're getting along great all things considered."

He sounded very genuine, Draco thought, impressed. Ms. Dribble's harsh laugh in Draco's ear startled him then, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. She had no business being so sneaky.

"'All things considered,' indeed, boy," she wheezed. "I'm mighty impressed, Mr. Malfoy, with the safety spells you have on the windows and kitchen cabinets. The place is as good as a flat can get for a growing boy."

"Thank you, ma'am."

She peeked at the notes Mr. Cook was overseeing, nodding at something there. "Well, the flat is in excellent shape, and the location is great for being outdoors with a magical child. Lots of space buffer you have out there. When is your lease up, Mr. Malfoy?"

"At the end of December."

"Do you three plan on moving to a larger flat at that time?"

"Ah..." Draco frowned and looked over at Harry. He looked just as uncertain as how to answer that question. They hadn't spoken at all about what would happen when Draco's lease was up. There had been mention at the very beginning of finding a place together with a bedroom for them each, but that had been a whole month before Teddy and Harry even moved in.

"Well," Ms. Dribble plowed on, "since you'll likely be legally free of one another once Mr. Potter graduates, it might be better in the long term to simply stay put if the arrangement is working alright. I suspect, Mr. Potter, that you'll be wanting your own space when that time comes and you have more means for proper child care, yeah?"

Irritation flared in Draco. 'Proper' child care? Like he and Harry were simply floundering together until Harry could afford something better? He ground his teeth behind a collected face.

"Well, I think that will do for now," Mr. Cook said, gathering his things. "And I must say, boys, I am quite proud of the progress that Teddy's new family has made. Who'd have thought, eh?"

Ms. Dribble smirked at Draco. He stared back, awarding her a thin smile, still annoyed. Mr. Cook stood then, and Draco and Harry did the same. Draco deposited Teddy on the couch.

"We will be returning in about three months, on Monday, the 27th of November," Mr. Cook said at the door. "At that time, we would like a copy of the notes from Teddy's pediatric healer to see how he's doing in that area. Although, Harry, with how things have been going, I can't imagine you have anything further to worry about in terms of being granted permanent guardianship. You will have to follow through the contract to the end, for which I am only partially sorry." The man laughed, patting Harry's shoulder.

Harry shrugged, smiling. "I'm not. This is working just fine, and it's taking a lot of stress off of me while I'm doing this training. It helps to know we're not going to have to move in December, too."

"Moving?"

The group at the door all looked over at Teddy. His face was scrunched as he seemed to think something over.

"Moving...Dwaco coming wif us?" Teddy asked. "Hawee Dwaco seep same bed?"

Draco and Harry both groaned. "No, Teddy," they said together.

Draco's ears felt hot, and he could see Harry's cheeks flush slightly. Now it was out in the open, Teddy's ridiculous notion that Harry didn't belong on the couch. Mr. Cook burst into laughter.

"Oh, my, that never grows old," he laughed. "The bluntness of children, yes?"

"Indeed," Ms. Dribble said, eyes searching Draco and Harry above a twisted grin. The look rubbed Draco the wrong way.

The Care-Seekers said their final farewells and departed quickly. Locking the door on them gave Draco a pleasant sense of security. But when he turned around, sharing a grimace with Harry, Teddy hurried over to continue the torture Draco had been so sure just left the flat.

"Seep same bed?"

"Teddy," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "We're not even moving. That was what we had been talking about - that you and I are staying here until next summer. We're not going anywhere. There's no need to change anything."

"Then...seep same bed here?"

"_No_, Teddy. My bed is the couch."

"I yike the couch," Teddy said, suddenly gazing at the couch fondly.

Draco laughed at Harry's bewildered look. At least the boy was past the bed thing.

"_I_ seep on the couch. Hawee seep wif Dwaco."

Defeat was incredibly hot under Draco's skin as he stepped forward and placed his hands on Teddy's shoulders. "Come on, little one," he said firmly, leading Teddy toward his room and far away from Harry. "Let's get you ready for a bath, hm?"


	13. Chapter 13

Harry immediately noticed that Draco had already packed Teddy's bag for him when he Apparated home. The flat was also quite clean, more so than was usual, although it was likely a move of passive aggression for Harry leaving the place a slight wreck the night previous. Regardless, it would make his evening a little easier, especially with all that was going on over the next couple of days.

"Hawee home?" Teddy's voice came from his bedroom, and Harry followed it. He found Teddy on the floor, Draco helping him tug on some trainers. The toddler's hair flooded black as Harry filled the doorway. "Hawee!"

"Sit still, please, Teddy, I'm almost done."

But Teddy wriggled out of Draco's grip, trainers on but untied, and hurried into Harry's arms. "You back!"

"I am! Are you excited to go to Gramma and Grandad Weasley's?"

"Yes!"

"It's Gramma Weasley's _and_ Aunt Fleur's birthday, so everyone's going to be there."

"And Vicko!"

"_Victoire_, Teddy. Fleur is going to maim us if she hears you calling her that," Harry laughed, only half-joking. "I'll have to ask her a good nickname you can call Victoire instead."

Draco stood. "Well, I'm off. Try not to keep him out too late. We'll be up late enough tomorrow as it is."

"Thanks, Mum, I think I've got it."

Trodding on Harry's foot deliberately as he passed, Draco made his way to gather his things for work. It was a Monday, but with Halloween the following day, Draco had arranged to work a few hours after his appointment so that he could celebrate with Teddy after the toddler's week-long begging. Harry shifted Teddy in his arms to tie his laces.

"Bye, Teddy," Draco said, soft Teddy-voice right in Harry's ear. Draco's face moved close to kiss Teddy's cheek, then withdrew as he made for the living room. "I'll see you tomorrow, little one."

"Bye, Dwaco! Bye!"

"Are you ready to go to a birthday party?" Harry asked as Draco popped out of the living room.

Teddy nodded eagerly. "Bifday pawty!"

It was only half-past four and the Burrow was already swarmed with Weasleys. Harry barely had room to properly maneuver through the kitchen for all the people already drinking, chatting, and laughing. Charlie and Ginny were both missing, being abroad, but otherwise, all the Weasley children were present with their wives or girlfriends. Fleur kept an eye on Victoire while chatting animatedly with Angelina, and Hermione seemed to be in the middle of a passionate monologue in front of a rather uncomfortable-looking Audrey, Percy's fiance. Teddy immediately shimmied to be set down, but Harry held him firm as they approached Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the far end of the kitchen.

"Come on, we need to say hello first, then give Gramma Weasley a big 'happy birthday,' okay?"

Teddy frowned, looking longingly at Victoire and her blocks, but nodded. Harry ran his hand across Mrs. Weasley's shoulders, pulling her into a quick hug the moment he was near enough.

"Oh, Harry, Teddy, hello!" she said, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said. He nudged Teddy, whispering, "Can you tell Gramma Weasley, 'happy birthday?'"

"Happy bifday, Gamma!" Teddy lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Mrs. Weasley's neck.

"Oh!" She caught him and drew the toddler into her chest, arms around him in a fierce embrace as she kissed his cheeks. "Oh, thank you, dear!"

"I play wif Vicko now?" Teddy asked Mrs. Weasley, leaning back in her arms. His eyes grew wide. "Pease?"

"Of course you can, love." She set him down on the floor, watching Teddy weave through the family to find Victoire. Once he had, she glanced at Harry with a smile. "Fleur might not...appreciate that little nickname."

"Probably not." Harry set Teddy's little backpack alongside Fleur's large baby bag on the countertop. "I need to ask her if they already have a nickname he can say properly. Otherwise, it might end up sticking."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, still smiling, and moved back to her drink with Mr. Weasley. Harry made his way through the room, shaking hands and hugging everyone. It was a twenty minute process, greeting all the Weasleys that stood between him and Teddy, but Harry had never quite cared. The chaos of the Weasleys was a beautiful change from everything else in his life; they were loud, unending, and overflowing with unconditional love against his days learning how to hunt down dark wizards and bickering with Draco over dishes. Finally reaching Fleur, Harry grimaced when he found her speaking to Teddy with a disgusted frown.

"Eet iz not 'Vicko,' Teddy, 'er name iz 'Victoire," she said firmly. "Say eet with me: 'Victoire.'"

Teddy bit his lip in concentration before speaking. "Vi-Vicky-twer."

"Victoire."

"Vicky-ter."

"Victoire."

"Vicko."

Fleur pursed her lips, and Harry stepped in, trying to sound casual. "Maybe he could call her Vicky?" He faltered at her sudden glare. "Or...or is there another name maybe he could pronounce easier for now?"

Flipping her long hair over her shoulder, Fleur glanced back at Teddy. He still stood in front of her, looking eager to please. "Vell...eef you must call 'er somezing else...you may call 'er Vicky, I suppose."

"Vicky?" Teddy repeated.

"_Oui_, you may call 'er Vicky."

Teddy turned back to Victoire and the pile of blocks, dropping to his knees. "Hey, Vicky! I call you Vicky now! No more Vicko, Vicko. Vicky. _Vicky_."

Harry laughed awkwardly, eyeing Fleur as she watched the exchange at her feet. When her brow relaxed and a smile tugged her lips, Fleur looked up at Harry and he let out a relieved sigh.

"Happy birthday, Fleur," he said, stepping forward to hug her.

She returned the embrace with a quick kiss on each of his cheeks. "Oh, thank you, 'arry. You are too kind. I am glad you are making eet to ze party tonight. You are quite busy, _non_?"

"Well, yes, but mostly only during work hours."

"Oh. Ronald 'ad mentioned you Aurors een training do much work outside of ze office, too."

"Oh, yeah. I mean, we do. I'm just...er...putting it off for the next couple days to make everything. It's not usually due until Fridays or Mondays, so I'll be okay this once."

"See, Hermione?" Ron said, stepping between Harry and Fleur and offering them each a mugged drink. "It's not just me putting it off for the holiday. Harry and I will be fine."

Shaking her head, Hermione joined them with two mugs in her hands as well. Once Harry and Fleur took theirs, Hermione gave one of the mugs to Ron. They all drank. It was a bubbly wine, mild and cool. The chatter around them buzzed in their ears, the sight of the two toddlers stacking blocks at their feet stealing their focus. Fleur spoke first.

"You really are doing a vonderful job weeth Teddy, 'arry," she said, eyes still on the children.

"Oh, erm...thank you."

"She's right, you know," Hermione said. "I'm not around children, but he seems to be doing incredibly well. He's nicely behaved for the most part, plays well with Victoire, and you even have him toilet trained now."

Fleur looked at him, brows raised. "Do you? He is only two and one-half, yes? That ees good news."

"Well, he was pretty easy," Harry said, choosing not to mention the first week. "I had made it a game with all these rewards and such, but...well, truth be told, it was Draco who put in all the work for Teddy to train without all that."

"I mean sure, anyone can take away the good stuff," Ron said dismissively. "But you were the one that made it get going."

"Oh, Ron, you know nothing of children." Bill stepped up, slipping a hand around Fleur's waist. "It's easy to get them to listen to you when you have sweets. Getting them to keep listening to you when you take them away..._that_'s parenting."

Harry felt a little warm around the neck.

"Oh, Bill, you say zat as eef you do not give Victoire a chocolate every single time we haf to visit ze healer for her vaccines," Fleur said, rolling her eyes. "Do not listen to him, he ees just a big...how do you say...pretender."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione laughed. Even Bill grinned, looking sheepish. "Well, I'm sure there's always one parent who can say 'no' better than the other. At least I'm more fun."

"You are not!" But Fleur's glare was half-hearted.

"How are things with Malfoy these days anyway, Harry?" Bill asked.

"Honestly...good," Harry said, and he realized just how much he really meant it. "I'm...well, I'm not worried about committing a murder in the next year anymore, that's for sure."

Behind him, George roared, apparently having overheard. The afternoon drifted into evening in a haze of light wine, heavy food, and easy conversations. While Teddy mostly poked holes into his pot pie with his fingers, Harry was able to get him to eat a plateful of mixed vegetables and called it good enough. Once the table was cleared of the final scraps of cake and the two children were falling asleep standing up, the party died down. Harry and Teddy were only second to leave behind Percy and Audrey.

The sun was gone outside the Burrow, and Harry pulled Teddy tight into his chest to Apparate home. It woke Teddy just enough to power through a quick bath, much to Harry's relief as he didn't fancy bathing a half-asleep toddler, nor did he think Draco would let him live putting Teddy to sleep as filthy as he was. They skipped the bedtime stories, however, Harry carrying Teddy straight to bed and tucking him in before singing him a lullaby.

"Stay?" Teddy whispered.

"Sure."

Harry curled into the bed with his godson, head on the pillow and pressing into the short railing. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and yet…

"Harry."

Harry's eyes were closed, the lids too heavy to open. His back ached. A hand was on his arm, gently shaking him.

"Harry, wake up."

Opening his eyes one at a time, Harry found himself wrapped around a snoring Teddy. Draco was standing over them, whispering.

"Come on, you ought to move to the living room."

Harry grunted, too tired to speak just yet. He extracted himself from the bed carefully so as not to wake Teddy and followed Draco into the living room. Harry collapsed onto the couch and rubbed his face.

"What…" He yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's only just after ten," Draco said softly in the dark. "I would've checked in there sooner, but I wasn't sure if you were still trying to get Teddy to sleep or not."

"Mm." Harry kicked off his shoes and wiggled out of his robes without sanding up. "How was work?"

"Same as always. How was your dinner?"

"Obviously too much fun," Harry said around another yawn. "Everyone's impressed with you toilet training Teddy, by the way."

Scoffing, Draco moved toward his bedroom. "Oh, they're more impressed that you put up with me, Harry. They probably think you did all the work anyway."

"No, really. They know I can barely say no to Teddy. Bill says he's the same way with Victoire." When Draco just stared at him, Harry yawned again and drew the covers over himself. "Whatever. You did good. You know it, I know it, they know it. Just gloat and enjoy."

Draco didn't respond but for a soft laugh as he disappeared into his room.

x-x-x

It had to be almost morning. The flat was dark but for a ghosting light that fell over the back of the couch, illuminating the carpet before Harry as he struggled awake. There were a few quiet clatters coming from the kitchen. After the party and falling asleep in Teddy's bed, Harry had been so sure he'd be too exhausted to be woken up by anything but the fear of being late for work. But as he heard Draco mutter a spell, Harry found himself pushing back his blanket and moving toward the kitchen.

Despite the soft light above the stove briefly blinding him, Harry caught sight of Draco's face a split second before he abruptly turned away. Skin pale as always, it was Draco's eyes that surprised Harry. Rimmed in red, somewhat swollen, Draco's eyes dropped as he hurried to fiddle with something on the counter behind him, forcing his back to Harry.

"Are...are you making tea?" Harry croaked.

"...yes. Would...would you like a cup?"

Harry drew closer as he grunted a bit, not quite waking any further but feeling unable to leave. Draco handed him a steaming cup without looking at him.

"Sorry to have interrupted the your beauty rest," Draco scoffed weakly. He drew his own cup to his lips.

But Harry was too tired and confused to take the bait. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted tea, so I made tea."

It sounded simple enough, although Harry knew something was wrong. Draco's eyes weren't right.

"You know, I…" Harry took a sip, cleared his throat. "I've heard you upset in the night before. It's...it's alright."

Draco's back stiffened as he sneered, "I didn't realize that my personal troubles were affecting the Chosen One's sleep so much."

"Why are you being so defensive?" Harry asked, setting his cup on the counter. "Shit happens. It's okay to have weak moments."

Slamming his own cup on the counter with enough force to splash some tea out, Draco whipped around then, red eyes furious. "No, it's not okay. I have a reputation to uphold and cannot afford to be weak."

"Are you being serious? What is your fucking obsession with reputation?"

"Well, in case you and your stupid scar have forgotten, I was a Death Eater," Draco snarled, taking a step forward. "I am not allowed to have moments of weakness anymore. I had more than enough during the war."

"That was different-"

A harsh laugh burst out of Draco. "Are you actually as stupid as I always thought you were?"

Harry moved forward then, bringing them nearly nose-to-nose as they both glared at each other in the soft light of the kitchen.

"The war is _over_," Harry gritted. "I thought you were doing a board wipe, a fresh start."

"Yes, and that includes wiping away the former behaviors that got me where I went. That includes me not being a weak fool."

Harry's mouth opened to reply, but nothing came out. There wasn't much to say against that. It still felt wrong to let silence be his answer, though. Draco blinked, glare lost, and dropped his eyes to the floor with a defeated sigh.

"Teddy is all I have left," he said quietly. "Any family or friends I had are dead, imprisoned, or abroad, long lost. I can't risk being weak when the one thing I have left is only partially mine and only at your mercy."

Shock rippled throughout Harry's body, electrifying his veins as he stood there, still tensed as though ready to fight. His lips drew shut.

"Draco-"

"Don't play me for dumb, Harry," Draco interrupted, voice stronger suddenly. "I know you only agreed to all these arrangements because you, too, were worried about losing Teddy. You never would have willingly allowed me to see so much of Teddy had you felt you had any other choice."

"Well, I...I…" Harry's voice trailed away, unable to argue the fact. Sure, that was exactly how things began. But as Harry felt the fight leave his body, he thought that things were different now. Given the chance, he wasn't convinced he would choose to cut Draco out of Teddy's life anymore. Draco was the foundation of what was making this entire situation work. Hell, Harry would go so far as to say that they were friendly. Things _were_ different now. "Look, sure, I-"

Draco's face shot up then, fixing Harry with a look so severe that it cut him short. Shoving past Harry, Draco stormed out of the kitchen. "I don't need your fucking pity."

Although Harry wasn't surprised when Draco didn't slam his bedroom door, the light latch somehow echoed with the same intensity as Harry stood alone in the kitchen. He didn't move for several long moments. When the exhaustion that kept getting compounded on returned suddenly, Harry rubbed his face and turned to wash the tea things. He returned to the couch, confusion clouding his dreams.

x-x-x

Harry and Draco were desperately trying to force Teddy into clothes. Just before the three were about to leave for the Halloween festivities, Teddy had hurried to the restroom. Then, for whatever the reason, he decided to remove all his clothes for the task and refused to put them back on. As Harry held Teddy as firm as he could against his chest, Draco struggled to force the toddler back into his clothes, all while Teddy screamed as though being carved. Once dressed, Teddy slumped to the floor where Harry dropped him, all three angry and a little sweaty.

"Teddy, what in Merlin's name is the matter?" Draco snapped. "Do you just want to stay home? Because if this is how you're going to act, I certainly don't think we should go out."

Teddy's screams cut off as he shot the most furious look he could muster at Harry and Draco, appealing to the former with a bit of a questioning glint.

But Harry shook his head. "He's right. You're not acting at all like you want to go. Do I need to owl the Weasleys and tell them we're not coming?"

Teddy's eyes dropped. "No."

Harry and Draco shared an infuriated look. Draco closed his eyes then, taking a deep breath before crouching down to Teddy's level. Harry folded his arms.

"Teddy," Draco asked, voice determinedly calm. "What's going on?"

Sniffling suddenly, Teddy turned his eyes back up, the beginnings of tears hanging on his lashes. The blue irises shifted to match Draco's pale grey. "Don' wanna wear nice cwothes."

"We all have to wear nice clothes," Harry said, trying to match Draco's calm.

Draco nodded. "It's a holiday, and people wear nice clothes on holidays."

"But-but-but…" Teddy bit his lip. "Dis shirt is yucky. Wanna 'nother shirt."

Harry watched as Draco frowned a bit, looking ready to fight the issue, but Harry dropped down then, grabbing Teddy's hand in his. "That's fine, Teddy. You could have just asked if you wanted a different shirt, though, instead of going through all this mess and making us late."

"We late?"

"Not yet, but we do need to get going."

"Yes," Draco said, standing. "So go find yourself a new shirt. Just make sure it's still a nice shirt, please."

"Otay!"

Teddy scampered off for his room, leaving Harry to rise to his feet beside Draco, who began to massage his temples.

"This is going to be a long night."

Harry snickered.

Dropping his hands, Draco fixed Harry with a bemused look. "What in the world could you possibly find funny right now?"

Still snickering, Harry gestured vaguely to where Teddy had disappeared.

"You are certifiably insane, you know that?" But Draco was grinning.

Harry still felt himself fighting laughter as Teddy returned in a similar but lighter shirt, eyes their usual blue once more. The three gathered in the living room, Harry holding Teddy and placing a hand on Draco's shoulder to guide him as they Disapparated to the Burrow.

Draco pulled away immediately when they appeared.

"Vicky!" Teddy squealed, practically leaping out of Harry's arms as he hurried into the crowd of Weasleys gathering in the front garden. Much as Harry wanted to follow, he looked back at Draco, who seemed to be drawing more into himself than usual.

"What's up? Why're you so tense?"

"Oh, just soaking up the love," Draco replied sarcastically.

At first, Harry was at a loss. But as Draco's eyes drifted among those behind him, Harry could feel it; the usual clamor of easy excitement was missing from the family, punctured ever so slightly by a thinly veiled hostility. Harry waved his hand, gesturing for Draco to come closer. Surprisingly, he did, stepping up to Harry's side as they moved closer to the redheaded crowd.

"Don't worry over it. No one really hates you or anything."

"Oh, okay. Sure."

"Okay, some of them hate you. In any case, no one here is going to do or say anything to you because Mrs. Weasley made a huge deal about tonight being fun. Not even Fleur will go up against Mrs. Weasley twice."

"Right." Draco's voice was tight, just different enough from his usual cadences that Harry noticed.

"Oi! About time you showed up!" Ron called, coming over with Hermione. "We're about to leave. You and Teddy ready?"

Harry noticed he pointedly didn't acknowledge Draco. He frowned, not appreciating Ron proving Draco's uneasiness to be warranted. But the night was just beginning, not quite the time for a row, and Harry found himself nodding, quickly finding Teddy and Disapparating with the rest of the family to Hogsmeade.

The village was hosting one of their first Halloween festivals that was open to the general public. Throughout the shops, treats were being handed out to small children, food and drinks were severely discounted, and witches and wizards from all across the country were swarming the usually quiet streets. Children ran wild, a large set of protection charms preventing any exits that were not in the designated Apparation points. It was chaos. Harry felt his eyes widen at the sight.

It seemed to help Draco's tensions, though, as the large group began to loosely wander together through the masses, peeking into shops and watching Teddy and Victoire 'ooh' and 'awe' at all the sights. Although Fleur made a point of walking at the frontmost of the group, furthest from Draco at the back, most of the Weasleys were kind, or at least indifferent, to him. Draco didn't seem to mind, focusing his attention almost entirely on Teddy as they made their way through the village.

There wasn't much space to truly interact on the streets, especially as most of the group was busy keeping a collective eye on Teddy and Victoire, who had a habit of vanishing among the traffic. But as the afternoon drifted into evening and the sun began to steal the warmth, Harry could feel the lightness of the Weasleys extending ever so slightly to Draco. Bill once or twice had shared a few words with him as they walked, although they had been too quiet for Harry to hear. Hermione, of course, had at one point spent five solid minutes in a one-sided conversation with Draco. Even Percy had spoken with Draco at one point, looking just as casual as he would with his own brothers. Although, coming from Percy, that wasn't terribly casual, but Harry had appreciated it all the same.

"Alright!" Mrs. Weasley called out, her voice just barely heard over the hum of the crowds. Harry grabbed Teddy's hand and dragged him closer to where the rest of the Weasleys were gathering, Draco a few paces behind him.

Mr. Weasley waved Harry closer, then reached for Teddy's hand. He leaned close to make himself heard. "Molly and I are going to watch the kids. You and the others can go grab a drink or something. Just make sure you're back in about an hour or two, yeah?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said with a grin, releasing Teddy. "Thank you."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were already waving them all away, hands firmly gripping Teddy and Victoire. Although Percy and Audrey stayed behind, Harry gestured to Draco to follow him as they set off for the nearby Three Broomsticks with Ron, Hermione, Bill, Fleur, George, and Angelina.

The place was packed. It was like nothing Harry had ever seen, and he froze just inside the doorway at the sheer volume of people packed into the available space. There was hardly any breathing room, and something vibrated dimly in his brain, a warning, a flicker of fear, his breath caught slightly-

"What are you doing, you oaf?" Draco's voice startled Harry from whatever had started brewing, breaking the spell. He blinked several times and turned, finding Draco almost pressed against him in the shifting crowd. "This is far from enjoyable," Draco muttered in Harry's ear, looking just as stressed by the place as Harry.

But Harry shook himself, both mentally and physically, and pushed forward, easing between the other patrons to the bar. He could feel Draco just behind him. Pulling a few coins from his pocket, Harry leaned over the bartop once they reached it, gesturing to an unfamiliar wizard that he assumed was working to help Rosmerta. He practically had to shout to be heard, but Harry managed to order himself and Draco a large Butterbeer each, paid, and turned to offer one of the mugs to Draco.

"Let's try to find the others," Harry said loudly, leaning closer. Draco just nodded as he took a deep drink.

The Weasleys weren't typically a family you could lose, their fiery heads often ones to stand out, but as Harry scanned the pub, he couldn't see them. He led Draco instead to the far wall, near the restrooms, where perhaps they could breathe a little. It wasn't quite as uncomfortable as it could have been, Harry thought, standing alone with Draco in a crowded pub with nothing but a drink to distract him. Then Draco's eyes met his, and Harry could tell that there was some weariness there from the previous night. Butterbeer wasn't particularly strong, but it gave Harry a slight bit of courage.

"Look," he said, stepping as close as he dared so he could talk to Draco without shouting. "I'm glad I have you to help me with Teddy."

Draco's brows drew together fast. "I don't need some sort of weird pity-"

"Shut the fuck up for a second. I mean, yeah, in the beginning, I'd have given anything to boot you out of Teddy's life for good. And to be honest, I was kicking myself for a week for not using your money troubles to my advantage at the time. But now...now Teddy's happier than ever and things aren't awful between us like they used to be and I just...I...I'm glad I have you to do it all with."

Harry stared at the mug in his hands, sensing Draco turn to stone beside him.

"Besides, I don't think the Care-Seekers approved of Teddy being watched by Mrs. Weasley and Fleur on random days like he was. I'm sure they'd have eventually insisted I put him in a daycare or something. At least with you, I know where he is and that he's safe and happy and being cared for right. You're...you're really good with him. You have more patience than I have, take time to figure things out that will help. And I know we fight about things we do differently with him, but I think it's better that we're talking through things than him just being dropped at a daycare where we don't have as much say, you know?"

Chancing it, Harry looked up. Draco was incredibly still, face frozen in a stoic sort of confusion that reminded Harry of how he looked at Teddy sometimes. But once their eyes met, Draco blinked a few times in rapid succession, sharp edges returning.

"Thank you."

A weird relief snaked through Harry, loosening the tension in his shoulders. They continued to look at one another for several moments, and Harry's chest began to feel tight again, the noise around them seeming to grow louder the longer they stared, threatening to drown him.

"Harry! There you guys are!" Hermione's voice barely broke through the waves lapping around Harry. Her hand was cold even through his cloak as she appeared with a large smile, already pulling on him. "Come on! We actually found a table, if you can believe it!"

True relief hit Harry then, and he eagerly followed her through the crowded pub, overly aware of Draco's presence behind him.

x-x-x

Teddy was still wild when Harry and Draco Apparated home close to ten that night. Lunging around the living room, face popping between all the dramatized creatures he had seen in Hogsmeade, and screeching in a rather accurate portrayal of a banshee, Teddy's energy seemed insurmountable as he was corralled into the bathroom. But after thoroughly soaking the entire bathroom during his bath, almost cracking his head open when he tried to jump off the back of the couch, and powering through three storybooks, Teddy abruptly collapsed into a deep, sugar-crash sleep in Harry's lap. Harry smiled fondly at the little boy and rose from the armchair, carrying Teddy to his bedroom. When he came out a few seconds later, Harry realized that Draco, who had sat on the couch while Harry read to Teddy, had his eyes closed and head in his chest.

"Hey." Harry nudged his foot. "You're in my bed."

Draco lifted his head groggily. "Ugh, just take mine, then. I'm much too comfortable to move."

"Oh, absolutely not," Harry chuckled. "I'm not dealing with your drama in the morning. You'll just accuse me of tricking you somehow."

"Is that was you think of me?"

It was a strange question, and Draco's voice was even stranger. Somewhere between a joke and a whine, it gave Harry a chill that told him to tread carefully.

"Well, maybe a little," he teased lightly. "But not...in a bad way. Things are different now, right?"

Draco blinked open his eyes slowly, eyes meeting Harry's in the dim light. "Are they? I find it hard to believe that you won't bar me from your and Teddy's existence the minute you're free of me."

"I...no, Draco."

Those pale eyes narrowed, but it was with far less venom than usual. Wariness bordering on actual worry filtered in Draco's eyes, and Harry realized with a sudden bolt of clarity that their arguments had been affecting Draco in more ways than one. Arguing could mean losing Teddy.

"Really," Harry insisted after a moment. "I...I know we've been at each other's throats for years and were rivals or whatever in school, but...we're different people now. Well, you're different, for sure. I'm not really sure I know how to change, but you…" Harry sighed, guilt festering his chest. "You're making every effort to put your past behind you, and I haven't been the best about letting you. And I'm...I'm sorry."

Draco's face hadn't moved a muscle. Eyes still narrowed, lips not quite frowning, he stared up at Harry intently.

"So, no," Harry said, swallowing. "I'm not going to cut you out from Teddy when the contract is up. You make Teddy happy and are the main reason he has routine and stability if we're being honest here. I'd probably have him in bed at midnight every night if you hadn't taken us in like the lost puppies we were."

Draco laughed then, unexpectedly and more genuinely than Harry had ever heard from him. "I suppose that's a fair point." With a grunt, Draco heaved himself to his feet, stretching his arms in front of him. He turned toward his room. As he passed Harry, Draco hesitated, then lifted his hand to pat Harry's shoulder once. "Night."

"Yeah...night."


	14. Chapter 14

Draco and Teddy were outside their flat's building, bundled up and playing in the soft snow that fell the previous night. They had been out there most of the day, Draco having to physically carry Teddy inside for lunch and a nap, but the boy showed no signs of stopping as four o'clock came and went. Teddy certainly wasn't going to want to go inside for dinner and bed, Draco thought as he rolled a snowball in his hands. But that was Harry's problem.

"Oi! Having fun?" Harry's voice carried across the open expanse as he ran up to them. Teddy tackled him to the ground in a flurry of snow and delighted squeals. Harry hissed softly, wincing as he twisted to stand back up. "Good day?"

"We play in da sa-no!"

"The snow?" Harry snorted.

"Yeah, the sa-no!"

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, we've been playing in the 'sa-no' for most of the day. Which reminds me - he hasn't really eaten as much as he usually does, so make sure he gets a good dinner."

"I thought a toddler wouldn't let himself starve?" Harry quipped.

Rolling his eyes, Draco patted Teddy on the head as he began trekking back to the building. "Well, I need to go ready for work. I'll see you tomorrow, little one."

"No, pease stay and play wif us. Hawee is home! We can play-we can play all togever!"

"I'm sorry, Teddy, I really am. But I have to go to work."

Teddy stuck out his bottom lip and looked down, breaking Draco's heart a little. But Harry shot him a sympathetic look and lured Teddy into a snowball fight, leaving Draco the space to go. He dragged his feet through changing his clothes and packing a light meal but still left with plenty of time to spare. He emerged from the alley and checked the road for passing vehicles.

"Hey," a soft voice said. Then, stronger, "Hey! It's you!"

Draco tensed. Barely turning his head to not draw unnecessary attention, Draco saw that, not far down the road, a man was waving...at him? Looking fully then, Draco could see that the man's face was uncertain but friendly, maybe five years older than Draco. A woman, maybe a couple years younger, was walking with him, looking as bemused as Draco felt. Unease prickled in his middle.

"It's you," the man said again as he drew closer, and Draco could see that he was...smiling? "You're that kid I kept from being flattened by that double-decker. That was...god, two years ago?"

"Oh." _That_ guy. "I...I'm surprised you can recall my face after all this time."

"I'm great with faces. Now names...those are hard."

The woman giggled. "He's putting it lightly. I swear he's forgotten his own sometimes. This is my brother, Harvey. I'm Ainsley," she said, offering her hand. Draco took it. "He tells that story like you were an infant in the street, you should know. Not particularly flattering."

A smile teased her lips, and Draco's stomach churned a bit. If only she knew how little Harvey was likely exaggerating. But instead of giving himself away, Draco just said, "Well, I suppose it'll just be a mystery how close to death I truly was."

"What are you talking about?" Harvey said, amused but indignant. "You were only half a second away from being turned into a puddle of goop, I promise you!"

Ainsley laughed, rolling her eyes as she regarded Draco. "You know, we're on our way to meet a few friends. You should join us, uh…?"

Damn, he hadn't returned his name when she had introduced them. Wasn't that Polite Interactions 101? "I'm Draco," he said. "But, ah...I have to decline. I'm on my way to work right this moment."

To Draco's mild horror, Harvey shrugged and said, "No problem. We try to meet together about every other week. How would you like to try again next week? Monday, perhaps?"

"Uh…"

"Well, should you wish to make a handful of new friends, we'll be at the Black Whale Pub just a block south of here," Ainsley said. "Usually between five and eight, so do come! Goodbye for now, Draco!"

And they left him then, linking arms as the muggle siblings continued on their way, turning around a building that cornered the street. Draco stared after them, wondering what in the hell just happened. Nobody wanted to be friends with him. He'd just have to watch for them in the future. Avoid them. Those poor fools had no idea who they had just tried to invite into their lives. With a sigh that felt very much like defeat somehow, Draco finally crossed the street and hurried to the Apothecary.

The shop was full to bursting when Draco stepped through the door, bell chiming as it swung open and shut. With Christmas quickly approaching in less than a month, Diagon Alley as a whole was in a frenzy most days. At least it made the hours fly by with how busy Draco was kept. He spotted Lloyd at the register and hurried over, dropping his bag just behind the counter.

"Hey, son, glad you're a few minutes early. It's-"

"_YOU_."

The shout was deep, penetrating the chatter of the store and shattering all conversation in seconds. Draco, Lloyd, and the entire clientele turned toward the center of the shop. There stood an older man, fury bulging his eyes as he raised his wand to strike, attention entirely on Draco.

"What's the meaning of this?" Lloyd asked, confused.

But Draco knew. His stomach soured and his throat tightened enough to suffocate him as he looked into the eyes of Marcus Burbage, the former Muggle Studies professor's husband. The younger woman next to Marcus, perhaps a few years older than Draco at least, had to be their daughter. Although her father was all the sight for righteous fury, she looked incredibly embarrassed.

Marcus' voice was as close to a true snarl as Draco ever heard in his life. "That's Draco _Malfoy_. You watched my wife be tortured and murdered by You Know Who and you didn't do a damn thing about it, did you, boy?"

The daughter's eyes grew wide with every word starting with 'Malfoy.' Her face contorted, shifting from the gentle prettiness she had carried to a cold beauty enhanced by her pain in a matter of heartbeats.

Lloyd's eyes shifted to Draco for a split second, then he stepped around the register counter, drawing his own wand but keeping it at his side. "I'm happy to assist you with your visit and purchases, Mr. Burbage, but I will not tolerate any harassing in my shop for any reason."

"You-you-" Marcus' already popping eyes spun in their sockets as he looked at Lloyd briefly, then he slashed his wand through the air. "_Stupefy!_"

It was aimed directly for Draco, who stood perfectly still. He had been a coward for so long. Since taking up this employment, he had been rather the opposite as he took all the revenge that had been sought on him without flinching.

But Lloyd's wand repelled the spell, sending a huge display of creature and insect eyeballs flying, showering the frozen customers.

"I'll never shop here again!" Marcus shrieked. "I'll see to it that you-you-you go out of business for the _filth_ you let into your shop, Even!"

Lloyd's voice was calm. "Draco's employment was an assignment of the Ministry for their new reformation project with the lesser criminals in the system."

Marcus sputtered, eyes rolling. "L-_lesser_ criminals?!"

"Draco was of school age when his crimes were committed, which under law placed him as a minor, as you and everyone in this room is aware. His crimes also did not include direct harm to others on his own volition."

"You can't believe any of that! That this-this-this-" Vocabulary failed Marcus as he simply gestured violently at Draco. "You can't believe that he's of any worth, that he's allowed among us!"

"Now that's dangerously familiar thinking, Mr. Burbage," Lloyd said quietly. "You and Felicity are always welcome in my shop. Draco only works the evenings and weekends if you wish not to see him."

"Oh, I won't be seeing him. _Expulso!_" Bright blue light shot at Draco, but Lloyd deflected it again, throwing it to the ceiling, which cracked. Several people screamed.

Marcus bared his teeth, animalistic and livid. "I will never return here." He spat on the floor. One woman gagged, but Marcus paid no mind as he stormed through the shop, slamming the door with such force behind him and his daughter that the glass shattered, leaving just a frame in the latch.

The shop was still full to bursting, but it was ominously silent. Lloyd took a very audible breath, then spoke to the shop at large.

"If you all would please be careful of the broken glass and the spilled products, I will be happy to finalize anyone's purchases up at the register while Draco tends to the messes."

Feeling his muscles unfreeze, Draco sprang into action, waving his wand as gently as possible around the skittish customers as he repaired the door and sought out all the millions of tiny eyeballs that now covered the shop like a plague. It didn't take terribly long, perhaps a quarter of an hour, but when Draco finally turned away from the fixed display, the shop was entirely empty. Lloyd stood behind him, eyes sympathetic.

"You alright, Draco?"

Draco nodded. A great somber feeling had overtaken him since meeting Marcus' eyes, but yes, he was fine aside from the monumental and sickening guilt.

"I have a feeling that you'll be dealing with that for a long time to come, unfortunately. Personally, I'm impressed with your strength not to run from those moments. I know you've had your fair share since starting here."

Draco shrugged.

"I'm locking up for the evening, and I'd like to walk you to the Apparation point."

"Lloyd, you don't-"

He threw up a hand to stop Draco. "I'm marking you down as having worked the whole night, and I'm paying you for the hours. But it's not even about you directly. The district...well, it's likely all over what happened here, and I want some time, even just a day, to let that die down before I leave you alone in here."

Heat tingled in Draco's ears.

"And I'm not upset or anything," Lloyd continued. "Nothing was broken that couldn't be fixed. But I hate to think what might happen if Marcus Burbage is out there gathering muscle to find you alone tonight. I've gotten used to my nights and weekends off, I don't intend to lose that vacation."

Draco attempted a weak laugh but mostly just scoffed. He kept his head held high as Lloyd led him up Diagon Alley, through the Leaky Cauldron, and across the street to the Apparation point. With a warm pat on Draco's shoulder, Lloyd's kind face vanished as Draco pulled back and Disapparated.

"-please, _please_, Teddy, just take a bite," Harry was begging from the kitchen.

They were sitting at the table, both with bowls of yogurt in front of them. Draco and Harry had both agreed that, on Teddy's less-successful eating days, it would probably be better if they ate a food they knew he liked for dinner, leading to more than one dinner of yogurt or fish sticks. But it seemed as if, even with their best-intentioned plan, Teddy was refusing to eat again.

Draco stepped into the kitchen, carefully setting his bag on the counter. He felt Harry's eyes on his back as he made himself a bowl of yogurt.

"What are you doing back?" Harry asked as Draco sat down.

Teddy perked up instantly. "Dwaco is back! Dinner all togever!"

"Yes, little one, looks like we're having dinner together tonight. How fortunate are we? Now why don't you take a bite of that yogurt, hm?"

Teddy did, suddenly letting his hunger overtake him as he began to demolish the serving. Harry, who normally would have lost his mind on the unfairness of it all, just continued to stare at Draco.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. He shifted in his chair and gasped, clutching at his side.

Draco raised his brow. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"Oh, I-well, we had a grappling training today. Must've bruised."

"A bruise wouldn't hurt by just moving around. You probably broke a rib."

Harry shook his head. "Nah, we were all checked by the healer on duty afterwards. She said I was fine." But when he made to sit back in his chair, Draco noticed that he was breathing a little shallow, moving gingerly. "So really, what are you doing home?"

Trying to sound casual, Draco said, "The owner just wanted to close early since a customer knocked over a large display."

"That...doesn't sound right. Between the two of you, you couldn't just fix it?"

Draco looked back at Teddy, who looked up and frowned a little at Harry, then at Draco. He really was growing up. Little by little, there was less and less they could get away with talking about in front of the boy without him catching on. Draco nudged Teddy's bowl of yogurt.

"Make sure you finish your dinner, Teddy."

"I full, though."

"Oh, there's hardly anything left in that bowl. Just eat it quickly, then you can be done, alright?"

Teddy sighed theatrically, making Draco smile just a little bit. The toddler was quite a character when he wanted to be. Thankfully, he began to eat again.

"Something happened," Harry said. "Just tell me."

Most of Draco wanted nothing more than to tell Harry to go fuck himself with a thick staff. Instead, he found himself looking up, meeting those green eyes, and shaking his head slowly. "Not...not in front of Teddy."

A collected sort of alarm covered Harry's face, but he dropped the subject. They all ate in silence for a few more minutes until Teddy was rather obscenely licking his bowl clean. Harry chuckled, grabbing the bowl and carefully taking it from him. He winced again, looking as if electrified.

"Teddy, why don't you go start getting ready for bathtime?" Harry suggested. "You did _awesome_, by the way, eating all your dinner. Thank you so much."

"Welcome!" Teddy leapt off his chair and landed clumsily on the floor, slipping as he scurried off toward his room, likely not to actually get ready for the bath. The second Teddy was obviously in his room, Harry whipped around to face Draco so fast that he actually doubled over abruptly, clutching his side and moaning as he all but fell out of his chair.

"Fuck, Harry!" Draco was out of his own seat in an instant. He came to Harry's side, eyeing him as he gasped at the floor. "Okay, you _had_ to have broken a rib."

"I mean...I mean _maybe_-"

"Merlin...lie down on the couch or something. I can fix it if it's just one or two."

Harry nodded but didn't move toward the living room. He dropped immediately to his knees and laid on the kitchen floor, inhaling a huge breath as he straightened out onto his back. Draco crouched down beside him with his wand out, and he hesitated just a moment before reaching with his other hand to touch the thin fabric of Harry's tee shirt over his ribcage. Harry gave violent jerk, but Draco felt it.

"At least one of your ribs is out of place. It's not even attached to the rest of the ribcage, you idiot. If you can stop being a huge baby for two seconds, I can reattach it."

"The healer didn't say I had a broken rib," Harry said breathlessly. "How...how in the world could a healer miss that?"

"Who knows? Maybe you just had a hairline earlier and all your roughhousing with Teddy snapped it."

"How do you even know how to fix a broken rib?"

Not bothering to answer immediately, Draco waved his wand and pointed it directly where the broken bone was. "_Conjectus_." Harry cried out softly, twitching under the hot snap of the magic that Draco shot through him. After a moment, Harry's eyes opened and he felt his side. Draco smirked at him. "I _read_, Harry."

He sat up tenderly. "Well...wow, thanks. That saved me a whole lot of mess." Seeming to find his own problem resolved, Harry looked up at Draco, eyes suddenly intense. "So what happened at work? Why were you sent home?"

Draco's eyes dropped. "Marcus Burbage came into the shop. The...Professor Burbage's husband...she-she had-"

"I know."

"Right. Well...he was...understandably upset once he recognized me. Wanted a little justice." The floor didn't offer Draco much consol, nor did Harry in his silence. "The owner handled it as best he could, but Marcus caused a bit of damage when he tried to attack me...twice. It was easily repaired, it just…the owner didn't want to...to leave me there alone."

A pause followed his admission, broken when a loud crash echoed from Teddy's room that sounded suspiciously like an entire toy bucket being upended. Draco met Harry's eyes then, and was startled at how close they were, crouched and seated on the kitchen floor. He stood quickly and took a step back, away from the concern that swam in those stupid green eyes. Without another word, Draco left the kitchen.

x-x-x

"And if the evening goes well, they'll likely ask you for a telephone number," Chase was saying as Draco stared, deeply regretting ever bringing up his encounter with the muggle siblings. "They might ask for your 'mobile' which is essentially the same thing. I suggest being as simple as possible, maybe telling them that you don't have a telephone as you simply don't have many people to call or don't want the extra expense on your budget."

Draco nodded tiredly. They had spent the better part of their hour together going over the various little things that might come up in a conversation with muggles - subjects to avoid, a few terms that Draco needed to at least have a vague idea of the meaning, certain phrases that he might encounter or needed to avoid. Chase had meant for it to prepare Draco for the disaster he was surely walking into in the next half hour. Draco just felt ill as the clock neared six.

He was glad that the Care-Seekers were not particular about him appearing for their appointment, which took place just as he met with Chase that evening. Draco had even told Harry that he wouldn't be home as soon as he typically was. Unexpectedly, Harry had seemed sincerely pleased that Draco was going out with 'potential friends.'

Oh, Merlin, he really was going to be sick.

"But don't worry," Chase said, bringing Draco to the present. "If you ever feel uncomfortable, just excuse yourself to the washroom and Disapparate. You are in control of your interactions, Draco."

"Brilliant reminder, healer. Award-winning."

Chase just smiled. "It's healthy to be nervous. When was the last time you were able to create new relationships? This is a beautiful opportunity to forge real friendships, Draco. It's a gift."

"Right."

"Our time is up for now, _chamaco_. Enjoy yourself tonight, alright?"

"I will try," Draco said stiffly as he rose from the chair.

He took his time walking out of the building and Disapparating to the Leaky Cauldron. His watch chimed six o'clock as he stepped onto the sidewalk, heading south as the muggles had told him the previous week. It took him about ten minutes to find the gray sign that read 'Black Whale Pub' next to a tobacco store. Not wanting to give himself anymore time than he already had to stress over what was about to happen, Draco forced himself to open the door and enter.

The entire pub was pretty dark. Though they didn't have much reach, the lights that hung from the ceiling were bright individually in a way that Draco thought must be tied to how muggles powered their lighting systems. He couldn't even look at the lights for more than a few seconds without his eyes watering, and as he lowered them to look about the pub, he realized that he probably looked like an fool, staring up at the lights.

"Draco?" a soft voice called. He looked up and saw Ainsley waving at him from a booth in the back. "Draco! Over here!"

They were actually there. A very large part of Draco had been rather wishful that they would not be. Hoping he didn't look as uncomfortable as he was, Draco made his way over to where Ainsley, Harvey, and another man sat. They each were holding bottles of what Draco assumed was beer, unless muggles packaged their wine differently. Harvey spoke briefly with a passing waitress as Draco approached.

"Come, sit, sit," Ainsley said pleasantly, scooting over to allow him room. He sat down and removed his gloves. "Draco, this is my brother's co-worker and friend, Blake."

Draco extended his hand, shaking the other man's hand. "Good to meet you, Blake."

"And you," he replied. He looked about Harvey's age, but his face had a more youthful glow than Harvey's. "So, Harv and Ainsley tell me they just picked you up off the corner, is that right?"

"Ah...more or less, I suppose."

Ainsley groaned. "Why do you have to say things like that? We're trying to make friends and you are being weird as always."

Blake laughed. "Not weird, just honest! I'm personally not as friendly as these two," he said conspiratorially to Draco. "I don't think it's literally ever crossed my mind to invite a stranger to the pub with me because I saw him in passing once two years ago."

Draco laughed, some of the tension in his chest easing slightly. "Neither would I. And I almost didn't come, admittedly." Fuck, was that too honest? Offensive?

But Ainsley just giggled. "Well, I'm glad you came all the same. Who knows, you might end up liking us."

Maybe.

The waitress returned with a round of the bottles, one for each of them including Draco. He took it, nodding at Harvey, and drank. It smelled reminiscent of sweet skunk, but the bubbling alcohol tasted like wheat and honey. He coughed slightly, unused to the flavor.

"Not a beer man, Draco?"

He shook his head at Harvey, setting the bottle down. "I've just never had this brand before. I wasn't expecting it to have that little bite at the end."

All three of the muggles looked at him. Ainsley seemed to be trying to keep herself from laughing, Harvey was shaking his head with a small smile, and Blake looked openly confused.

Blake spoke first. "You've never had this brand? It's one of the most widely distributed brands in Europe. America, too, I think."

Draco felt the blood drain from his face. Shit. "Oh, well, I do tend to prefer wine. I guess it just hasn't come up a lot."

Although Blake continued to stare at Draco for a moment, Ainsley and Harvey seemed to accept the answer readily enough. The evening drifted on slowly, and as Draco mostly listened to the conversation, he was struck with how...normal the muggles seemed to be. Aside from not knowing of the magical world, they were just like many of those he had gone to school with and saw in Diagon Alley. Blake seemed to be more willing to call his friends out, whereas Harvey and Ainsley fiercely reminded Draco of the sort of laid back nature associated with Hufflepuffs. Ainsley spoke of her studies at a nearby university with the same excitement he once had for studying potions; Harvey joked about his wife and children with a fondness Draco had never known could exist among families; even Blake was eager to join in the talk of where he would like to travel one day when money wasn't quite so tight in the struggling economy. After two bottles of the strange beer, Draco found that he wasn't actively wondering if he should bolt or not.

He was actually enjoying himself.

"Well, it's getting close to eight," Harvey said after a while. "The wife will be wondering where I've gotten to."

"Her name is Georgianna, you pig," Ainsley said, throwing her napkin across the table.

"She knows I love her," Harvey said, standing and letting Blake do the same. Draco followed suit, and the four moved together toward the door.

"Did you have fun, Draco?" Ainsley asked just inside the door as she pulled on her mittens and hat.

"I did, thank you," Draco said, meaning it. Maybe it was just nice being around people that didn't know he had once been a monster, but Ainsley, Harvey, and even Blake had made Draco's evening more pleasant than he could have expected.

"Well, could I ask for your mobile so we could do this again?"

There it was. But, prepared, Draco said, "I'm afraid I don't have a telephone, sorry. I've never had much need for one."

Ainsley's brows shot up, but she was smiling. "No telephone? That's wild, Draco! How ever do people get ahold of you?"

"Not too many people require me," Draco said with a nervous chuckle. "But if you're wanting to find me again, I'm always on that same street where you found me before just before five o'clock Tuesday through Friday."

The three muggles all laughed. Harvey clapped Draco on the shoulder, a very brotherly emotion in his palm. "Well, you're a strange one, but we'd like to do this again. We'll find you, then."

Blake was shaking his head, opening the door to the dark, frosty world outside. "I don't know, you two," he teased. "This one has a 'dangerously secret branch of the military' feel to him. Who doesn't have a telephone these days?"

Ainsley rolled her eyes. She tilted her head up at Draco. "Well, if you are, please don't hurt us," she said sarcastically. "Instead of calling, then, perhaps we could write? You do have an address, don't you?"

Chase hadn't prepared Draco for that. He wasn't even sure the muggle postal system knew his flats existed, let alone knew how to access them. But he didn't want to turn Ainsley's attempt down a second time, so he simply said, "Well, I'll see what I can do for you. Next time?"

Ainsley nodded, relieving Draco.

Blake snorted as he disappeared into the night. "'Dangerous branch of the military,' I'm telling you."

But Ainsley and Harvey just rolled their eyes, still smiling unbothered as they said their farewells to him, and Draco felt that, Blake's skepticism aside, it had been a rather nice time. Maybe he had even made some friends.


	15. Chapter 15

With snow falling more heavily as December fast approached, Harry found himself waiting with Ron a few extra minutes after training every day for Hermione. After successfully passing a law that had been her personal two-year-long project, Hermione was more willing to leave work around four o'clock, something that had Ron quite excited. While Harry and Ron waited at their desks just after the rest of the trainees had fled the department one Thursday afternoon, their stealth instructor, a woman named Plexia Cress, strode toward them.

"Oh, I'm surprised any of you are still here," she said, slowing to a stop. "But, lucky for you, it'll award you an edge tomorrow. There's a blizzard due, so instead of the stealth practice being in the basements, we'll be moving outside to apply our techniques to the elements! So dress warm!"

Harry and Ron nodded, trying to smile. But when Cress vanished into the adjoining bulletin office, they both loudly groaned.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, stepping up where Cress had just been.

Ron answered. "There's a blizzard coming in tomorrow, and we're going to be out in it doing stealth drills."

"Hm," Hermione hummed, looking impressed. "That's a smart move on the department's part, adjusting their training to accommodate the weather like that."

"No, accommodating the weather would be cancelling."

But Hermione just chuckled softly at Harry as she wound her fingers with Ron's and the three made their way to the lifts. As Ron and Hermione had a fireplace connected to the Floo Network, Harry left them in the main atrium to make for the Apparation points, heading home.

It was incredibly quiet in the flat.

"Teddy?" Harry called. Nothing stirred. "Draco?"

Harry glanced in Teddy's room and saw his prized stuffed elephant with the unusually long trunk. Teddy wouldn't have gone anywhere without it. Maybe they had gone outside despite the blizzard that drew closer.

On the first step of the building's outside entrance, protected by a low canopy, sat Draco and Teddy, soundlessly watching as fresh snow fell on the darkening world. Harry didn't speak as he joined them, putting Teddy in the middle. Without looking away from the stormy expanse, Draco offered Harry a dark blue bottle of Kindle Hops, a smooth citrus beer Draco had introduced to Harry. They both took a long drink.

"Dwaco say a bizzerd is coming," Teddy said, his voice soft as though not wanting to wake someone.

"He's right. A blizzard is coming."

"We watching the sa-no."

Harry wrapped his arm around Teddy's shoulders, drawing him closer. "I can see that. Do you like the snow?"

"I do."

"Me, too."

They sat there for a few more minutes, the three of them in comfortable silence as the world prepared for the next day's storm. With a final drink, Draco stood and stretched.

"Well, I ought to go get ready," he said. "I suspect it's closer to five than I care for it to be."

Teddy's lip stuck out, suddenly pulling his eyes from the snow. "Pease stay, Dwaco. Pease stay wif us."

Draco sighed, sad smile aimed down at Teddy. "I wish I could, I do. But Harry and I have to work so we can pay the bills and feed us all. I'm sorry, little one."

Harry drew Teddy into his arms as he followed Draco back up to their flat. He helped Teddy out of his shoes, mittens, hat, and scarf, frowning in thought as he watched the little boy skip over to the bookshelf. Then Harry made his way to Draco's room, stopping just outside the open doorway.

Draco, who was pulling a set of clean robes over his clothes, sneered. "Looking for a show?"

"Is that true?"

"No, of course I don't just strip for any poof that asks-"

"No, do we really both have to work to pay for everything?"

Brows raising in surprise, Draco closed his closet door and faced Harry fully. "Have you ever even looked at our budget?"

"I, uh...I didn't really...I didn't know we had some kind of formal budget."

Draco sighed. He made his way into the living room and pulled a piece of parchment from a high shelf on the bookcase. Teddy had torn down all of the books on the bottom two shelves, but both Harry and Draco ignored him as they looked at the parchment. On it was Draco's income, a startlingly small number, along with their bills and estimated food costs. With Draco's income, only the bills were covered with all but nothing remaining.

"As you can see, hopefully," Draco said after letting Harry read the document for a moment, "it's only been thanks to you swooping in as you always do that's keeping us afloat. You've been buying all the food and things for Teddy with your own income while I'm covering the fixed expenses."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't, er, realize that you were paying all the bills...exactly…"

Draco snorted, rolling his eyes as he looked directly at Teddy with a smirk. "And _that_ is why I have to go to work every evening, Teddy. Poor Harry doesn't understand how bills work."

While Draco's tone was light and teasing, humiliation flushed Harry. He should have known or at least asked how things were being handled. He had been so relieved to be sharing the financial burden that he hadn't actually...shared the burden. That wasn't fair, especially with him being the one legally responsible for three quarters of Teddy's expenses. And Draco hadn't mentioned it once, hadn't complained a single time.

Harry held onto the parchment as Draco moved to the kitchen, Teddy following him and babbling. Studying it and doing a few rough figures in his head, Harry hardly noticed when Teddy was back at his side, stacking the discarded books like blocks at his feet. Draco Disapparated behind them with a short farewell, and Harry snapped back to reality. He hurried to his dresser, pulled out a fresh bit of parchment and a quill, and started working.

x-x-x

Drenched down to his soul and shivering violently, Harry stomped back into the trainees' offices shortly before four o'clock with the rest of the group the next day. Despite wearing multiple layers, Harry was still quite frozen after spending close to three straight hours in the furious snowfall of the Ministry's outdoor training grounds just north of London. The trainees had been put through their typical duels, stealth drills, and physical tests, all with the added snowstorm element.

"I'm not going to be able to hold my quill properly," Ron muttered as he collapsed into his desk. "Can't warm up until we've written our reports...that's cruelty, that is."

Although Harry agreed, he simply pulled out his report journal and started writing. Their exam instructor had been very clear - they were not to dry or warm themselves until their reports for the week had been completed and turned into the bulletin office. The journals weren't hard, especially as Friday reports were mostly recording one's exam performances. But with the chill in his bones, Harry struggled just to form legible letters.

"Ah, that's better."

Harry looked up at Ron, whose clothes were dry and face was flushed. He smiled down at Harry, who frowned.

"H-How are you already done?"

"The wet cold was good motivation," Ron said sagely. But as Harry just continued to stare at him, Ron added, "My report may or may not actually be readable."

Harry laughed, returning to his report with painful fingers. A few things on the far end of his desk moved as Ron helped himself to sit on it.

"What's this?"

Looking up briefly, Harry said, "Oh, those are my and Draco's bills and budget and such."

"You two seem to be doing alright."

"That's actually with just my income, not Draco's."

"Damn, that's not bad what with feeding three people and all the extra stuff Teddy probably needs."

"I know. I'm thinking of asking Draco to quit his job to stay with Teddy full time."

There was a silence that followed, and Harry took his time finishing his report before looking up into Ron's open-mouthed stare. If he wasn't so cold, Harry knew his face would be red, but he met Ron's look steadily as he closed his journal.

Ron blinked. "How the hell do you expect Malfoy to be okay with being your housewife?"

"I-I'm not asking him to be a housewife," Harry said, torn between laughing and dying. "But his obligations for the Ministry are finished, and I know Teddy would like us both being home at the same time more often."

"Well, I guess Teddy does like him…"

"He does, and Draco's good with him _and_ for him. Besides, I think it'd be better for Teddy to see us living more like a family than Draco and I just switching off watching him, you know?"

As Harry filed his journal and quickly dried himself, letting the warmth fill him up like a hot meal, Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you ought to focus more on finding a nice witch to settle down with and just get rid of Malfoy entirely, mate."

Annoyance flashed through Harry. "I already told you, I'm not going to take Teddy from Draco like that, even once this contract is up. Draco's great with Teddy, Teddy loves him, and we're not fifteen anymore. Besides," Harry added with a single, humorless laugh, "how am I supposed to meet anyone with a kid to raise and no wiggle room with how Draco and I are working now?"

"Good point. What if you got Fleur to watch Teddy sometime while Malfoy's working?"

"Fleur's not really a big fan of Teddy right now. He's in what your mum calls the 'terrible twos' and she doesn't like that he's showing Victoire how to misbehave."

"Then what about Mum watching him?"

"I mean, maybe…" But a large part of Harry hesitated. "I don't know...it seems weird, sneaking off while Draco's busting his arse at work just to meet people. Maybe this just isn't a good time."

Ron rolled his eyes, hopping off the desk. "There's probably never going to be a good time to take time for yourself with Teddy. But if you're all worried over Malfoy, then what if he comes, too? He has Mondays off, right?" Harry nodded. "Then next Monday, ask Mum to watch Teddy, and you and Malfoy can come out with me and Hermione, and I'll see if George and Angelina want to come, too. It'll be good for all of us to get out and let loose a little."

Harry found himself beginning to grin as he thought about it. It could be fun. "I'll run the idea by Draco and get back to you tomorrow."

With a smirk, Ron snapped his wrist as if brandishing a whip.

x-x-x

Three days later, a quarter to seven in the evening, Harry and Draco were dressed casually in nice muggle clothes and being ushered out of the flat by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and a pajama-clad Teddy.

"Have fun and be safe!" Mrs. Weasley said. Teddy slammed the door on them.

The slam echoed in the silent hall, reverberating around Harry and Draco as they looked at the exterior of their front door. They exchanged a glance.

"Well, I guess we should get going, hm?"

"Yes, I'd rather not just stare at you in the corridor all evening."

Harry rolled his eyes, then they both turned on the spot and Disapparated.

The streets of muggle London were fairly quiet, icy snow covering the streets and making it difficult to navigate for cars and buses. But the shops lining the district that George and Angelina had picked for the night were brightly lit. Varied music drifted across the air, mixing together around Harry and Draco as they stood just inside a darkened alleyway. Directly across the street was the pub where they were meeting everyone: The Prickly Pear.

"I would say that I can't believe that's where we're going," Draco said, eyeing the pub's exterior decor, "but since a Weasley picked it…"

"Nothing's wrong with it. It just looks like it has some kind of...desert theme. It was probably George's idea of a joke. You're just sour because it's muggle."

Draco shot Harry a sharp look. "No, I can just smell the greasiness from here. I'm not quite as blindly bigoted as I once was. Times change, you know."

Sighing guiltily, Harry nodded. "You're right; sorry. And speaking of…" He cleared his throat slightly. "You never really answered when I asked about your time with the muggles last week. Plan on seeing them again?"

"Perhaps. If they're fine with not being able to get a hold of me or knowing anything about me beyond my name."

"It doesn't have to stay that way. Lots of wizards have muggle friends and make it work. Maybe we can set you up a way to write them, like a post office box or something."

"That's ridiculous."

"Not if you'd use it."

The sharpness faded rather suddenly from Draco. He turned his attention back to the pub. "Times really do change. Bigotry aside, I never thought I would have to rely on muggles for friendship that wasn't tainted by my own kind instantly thinking I'm a monster. But...here we are."

Pity stabbed at Harry, but he knew better than to voice it. Bumping his shoulder into Draco's as he stepped onto the brightly-lit street, he joked, "Well, your face alone ought to put the muggle girls off enough to make you feel right at home."

Draco smacked Harry's head hard, but the amusement in those pale eyes was worth it.

"You made it!" Hermione was beaming as Harry and Draco crossed the street and found her standing just outside the pub's front door. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the wind. "Come on, let's get out of this cold!"

Beyond the heavy wooden door was an unusually bright barroom. It seemed that the desert theme Harry had guessed went above what most public pubs would tackle in design. The floors were a beige wood that was easy to glide on in smooth shoes, the walls had vibrant green cactus painted on them at varying intervals, and the ceiling was splattered with a dusky blue and had hanging paper lanterns to imitate clouds. Only a few tables and chairs hugged the walls of the place, leaving the centermost floorspace open for a western-style fenced-in dance floor. Despite it being relatively early on a Monday night, noise and bodies filled the building, liveliness hitting Harry full force in the chest as the door swung shut behind him.

"Come, the others are near the bar," Hermione said in Harry's ear.

They moved carefully through the crowds to a tall table where Harry saw George and Angelina sitting with Ron standing behind them, a small group of muggles opposite them all.

"And now," George said, voice flourishing, "was…" He raised his hand, fingers together and palm facing the crowd of muggles. "..._this_ your card?"

The audience erupted into a cacophony of cheers, groans, outcries, and laughter. George, Angelina, and Ron all wore wide grins at the praises, and Draco raised his brows at Harry in question as they drew closer. Harry shrugged, not entirely sure.

"Oi! You made it!" Ron said, catching sight of them. "George has been doing some muggle magic tricks, blowing them all away with some pretty simple stuff without ever actually...you know, doing real magic. It's brilliant!"

"It's toeing the line of the Statue of Secrecy is what it is. He's using his natural magic to change the usual tricks into something more than they're used to," Hermione said as she accepted a glass from Angelina, who shook her head.

"Oh, Hermione, what George is doing is perfectly legal and safe," she said. She stood to pull Harry into a tight hug. "Man of the night finally here, hm?"

"Er-"

"Harry Potter!" George practically shouted, leaping from his chair and knocking Angelina's arms out of the way to drag Harry into a bone-breaking, one-arm side hug. "Let's get you and Malfoy over here drinking and find you lads a girl, eh? Not one to share, but one each, unless-OW!" He flinched, grimacing sheepishly at Hermione, who had stamped on his foot.

"Come on, let's order you boys something good," Angelina said smoothly, elbowing past George with a wink. "He and I are just already having too much fun."

"Don't worry, we'll get you there!" Ron called as Angelina led Harry and Draco back toward the bar.

Harry had never quite been exposed to muggle alcohol beyond Uncle Vernon's favorite brandy and the occasional wine Aunt Petunia would serve on special occasions, but Angelina strode up to the bartender with confidence and ordered a round of something that Harry didn't quite believe was the name of an alcohol.

"What in Merlin's name is she getting us?" Draco muttered in Harry's ear. "That sounded more like a spell than a drink."

"Here you go, guys," Angelina said a moment later, paying the tab and offering Harry and Draco each two glasses of something that was layered deep pink and lime green. "Two of those are for Ron and Hermione. I've got mine and Geroge's. Now let's get the night going!"

Harry took a quick drink of one glasses and nearly shuddered at the sheer _sweetness_. It was smooth, too. There wasn't even a bite of alcohol lingering in the aftertaste.

"This tastes like a juice," Draco said.

"Ah, nice notice, young Malfoy," George said as they stepped closer. He threw an arm around Harry's and Draco's shoulders, pulling them in conspiratorially. "That's the muggle mixing magic: they concoct these...these...what are they, again, love?"

"Cocktails," Angelina said.

"Cocktails," George repeated with a nod. "Muggles apparently want their drinking to be as blissful as possible and hide the alcohol so that you drink and drink and drink and get so pissed you can't stop ordering the sweet fruity drinks that keep doing you in. It's brilliant, and I love it. So drink up, lads! Then...we begin the bird search."

'The bird search,' as it turned out, was the entire reason that The Prickly Pear had been chosen at all. The pub seemed to be a popular Monday night spot for muggles either in or fresh out of university, a sort of start-the-week party as Angelina had described it. Harry wasn't sure he understood the allure of doing it regularly, but he had to admit that it was nice to have the weekend feel on a more functional evening for him and Draco.

Between Ron and George, all the women deemed 'gorgeous' had been spotted before Harry and Draco had even arrived, pointed out to them during their second drink with exactly no attempt at being discrete. Between Hermione and Angelina, all the women in the pub as a whole had been distantly evaluated, casually spoken to, and mentioned by way of murmured descriptions in their ears. Personally, Harry preferred this as opposed to Ron yelling at them to go 'snag the blonde by the window' for a dance.

In a relieving sort of way, Harry sensed that Draco shared his general reservations about actually going through with talking to random girls at a muggle bar. Thanks to the slightly more inebriated positions of Harry's friends, however, a group of girls around their age winded up mixed among their group quickly, two of which seemed to have an Attachment Charm sticking them to Draco's side and a third giggling as Harry stuttered his way through an introduction over the blaring music.

"So you have a son?" the girl shouted at one point.

"No, a godson," Harry shouted back. "But I'm raising him."

Her eyes shone, either from the nectar-esque drinks that someone kept handing them or admiration, Harry wasn't really sure. "All on your own? That's amazing, you being so young!"

"Oh, I've got Draco," Harry replied, gesturing vaguely to Draco.

The girl's eyes grew wide, but her voice seemed to fall flat. "Oh. Well, I need a drink." And, despite the nearly-fully glass in her hand, turned and strode away without another word.

Ron took her place. "What'd you do?"

But Harry was at a loss.

It seemed to continue that way for most of the night. Although he met what felt like two dozen girls, they all only seemed to want to be around Harry for as long as it took him to mention Teddy or for him to trod on their toes while dancing two too many times. Easily four drinks downed and having had no water, Harry was inclined to blame the alcohol on his clumsiness. As for Teddy, George suggested that maybe the girls weren't into a family man that night.

Draco, on the other hand, seemed to have completely enraptured the two girls he had met at the beginning of the night. Neither seemed to have let go of him in over two hours, and his face was neither flushed nor concerned as the three talked and danced into the night. It was surprising, fascinating, and although Harry was far from jealous at the idea of having to entertain not just one but two strangers while mildly intoxicated, he did find the sight increasingly annoying as the clock drifted toward midnight.

Overall, though, Harry felt the night was a success. Perhaps not in finding him some girl to raise Teddy with, as had been Ron's original plan, but in the sense that Harry was able to find some enjoyment with his friends, to unwind. It was an added bonus that, alcohol help or not, the others seemed to enjoy Draco's company as well. All four had roped Draco into the fiasco of 'finding a woman,' which had led to more than one friendly crack at Harry's inability to keep anyone around for five minutes and an oddly reset interest in Draco as a person. Hermione and Ron in particular had spent time talking to Draco rather than Harry more often than he had expected. It was...nice.

"What's got you looking so sappy?"

Harry started at Draco's voice so close behind him. Barely a foot away in the shifting crowd of the pub, Draco's glazed eyes were the only giveaway that he likely felt as pleasantly warm as Harry did.

"Where're your…?" He waved his hand at the empty spaces on Draco's sides.

"Washroom. Maybe they can find someone thick enough to deal with you," Draco said, voice at that near-shout that came with the place, eyes teasing.

"Maybe _I_ couldn't deal with _them_," Harry countered with a drawn-out eye roll. "Who's to say I wasn't the one dismissing the girls all night?"

A warm hand gripped Harry's shoulder, and Draco fixed him with a mock-intense gaze. "Because you are hopeless, Potter."

"Hey, what happened to first names?"

"Old time's sake."

"I don't know, I kind of like the new times."

"At least old-times-Harry could get a girlfriend."

Harry swatted Draco's hand away. "Rude."

Laughter swept them, and it felt like only a brief moment had passed when Harry was wiping his eyes, watching the two girls return to wrap their arms possessively around Draco like serpents.

"Ooh, is this Harry?" one of them asked, eyeing Harry with interest.

"Yes, indeed, this is _the_ Harry Potter, ladies," George announced, seeming to literally drop into the conversation. He and Angelina both nearly dragged Harry to the ground with the force of their arms on his shoulders. "The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, he is here, in the flesh, and you-"

"-and _you_," Hermione said, stepping to George's side with a fierce look, "are a mess. Excuse him, please," she said to the girls, who were giggling. "Harry, Draco, are you ready to call it a night? I know I for one am hoping to get more than a few hours of sleep tonight."

Nodding immediately, Harry wiggled his way out of George's and Angelina's grips, guiding them to hold one another, which spurred on a sudden snogging session that made Harry's entire body feel hot. He turned away.

"Do give us your mobile, Draco," one of the girls was whining, lashes batting.

Smile turning a bit sheepish, Draco said, "Much as I'm flattered, I must decline."

The girls pouted. Ron laughed, loud enough to earn an elbow in the stomach from Hermione. Harry tried not to openly grimace. But with a final word to the girls, Draco turned and walked at Harry's side as they followed the rest of their group to the door. The world outside was quiet, filling Harry's ears with a muted buzzing sound as the chill gripped him through his clothes. He shivered.

George's voice was loud against the silent streets. "To home!" And he started shuffling down the icy sidewalk.

Hermione crossed her arms. "George...where are you going? The alley's across the street."

"Home!"

"Surely you're not thinking of walking?"

Angelina patted Hermione's shoulder, shaking her head in pity. "Hermione, Hermione. Surely you know that part of the muggle drinking experience is stumbling home in the dark afterward?"

"I wouldn't-"

"Angelina, love?" George called, having moved further down the street than Harry had expected in such a short time. "Coming?"

"Tonight was awesome," Angelina said to the group, waving over her shoulder. "We'll have to do it again sometime. That includes you, Ladies' Man Malfoy!"

"Which, by the way, of _course_ you are," Ron said as he led the way to the alley where they could Disapparate. He was shaking his head at Draco. "All that weird Malfoy swagger works on muggles, too, hm?"

"Weasley, I was just being a gentleman. No tricks or swagger necessary."

Ron laughed. A little mocking, but it wasn't mean-spirited, and Harry grinned at the snowy road. Head still pleasantly fuzzy without making it too hard to think or walk, Harry was glad that the night was ending on a good note, specifically between Draco and Ron. George and maybe Angelina aside, none of them had reached total inebriation levels and were quite in control of themselves. It made the exchanges real, genuine.

"You're smiling that sappy smile again," Draco said, bumping him with his shoulder and nearly off-balancing them both on the slick sidewalk that began the alley. "Stop it. It's unnerving."

"Oh, ignore him, Harry," Ron said theatrically. "You smile as sappy and as much as you want, you hear?"

Hermione was rolling her eyes, lips pulled into a wide smile as she embraced Harry. "Good night, you two."

"Night."

"See you tomorrow, Harry."

"You, too, Ron."

"Keep your hands to yourself, Malfoy."

"My hands and I will do as we please, Weasley."

With a final laugh, Ron and Hermione Disapparated then. Harry and Draco did so as well only a moment later.

Apparating directly into their flat had seemed natural enough. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, however, had apparently been asleep on the couch. Popping into existence mere feet from them had startled them both awake, Mrs. Weasley with a rather undignified squeak. Harry slapped a hand across his mouth as he and Draco both drew back several steps, not wanting to laugh out loud.

"Sorry," he stuttered as the Weasleys' eyes blinked open and found him and Draco. "We didn't think-"

"Oh, it's quite alright, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, hand still on her chest as she made to sit up. "Didn't realize we had fallen asleep is all."

Mr. Weasley stood first, offering a hand to Mrs. Weasley. "Did you all have an enjoyable evening?"

"Yes, and thank you again for staying with Teddy," Harry said. "He wasn't too much trouble, was he?"

"Too much trouble?" Mr. Weasley echoed with a smile. "I think the worst the little tyke did was beg for another story before bed. You have a remarkable young man on your hands, boys."

Harry shared a look with Draco, same barely-suppressed grin on his face. With all the tantrums they saw Teddy throw daily, it was nice to hear an outside party compliment him. Pride swelled in Harry.

Mrs. Weasley covered a large yawn with her hand, stepping up to Harry and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Well, goodnight, dear. Don't hesitate to ask should you need anything again, you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She moved toward Draco, who tried to step aside for her to reach the front door. Mrs. Weasley followed him, though, enveloping him in her arms just as she had done Harry. Shock blew those pale eyes wide, but Draco quickly composed as he brought up his hands to pat Mrs. Weasley's back in return. When she pulled away a moment later, one hand held Draco's upper arm and the other came to rest gently on his cheek.

"That goes for you, as well, you know." Mrs. Weasley said quietly. "The past is behind us, and how we proceed is what really matters at this point, wouldn't you agree?"

Draco, face carefully impassive, nodded.

"How have you been coping since February?'

Draco's lips pursed almost imperceptibly. "I...I've done alright, I believe."

"I believe so, too, dear." Mrs. Weasley gave Draco's cheek a soft pat, then she turned and waved her hand at Mr. Weasley. "Coming, Arthur?"

"Yes, dear." And with two flashed smiles and two firm handshakes, Mr. Weasley joined his wife to Disapparate just inside Harry and Draco's locked front door.

The silence remaining was different than when they had left the pub. Draco's face hadn't changed much but for his eyes betraying emotions that churned inside him, locking his jaw. Harry swallowed.

"You alright?"

Draco just nodded.

"You know, I…I never did offer my, er, condolences about your mom and Andromeda."

Back stiff as a board, Draco didn't respond.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't-"

"Thank you." It was curt, reminiscent of the Draco Malfoy that Harry had known at Hogwarts, but it wasn't sarcastic. Draco finally looked at Harry then, sharp edges everywhere. "Tonight was fun, but we ought to head to bed. We...we both have to be up early, and it's late enough as it is."

Some emotion Harry couldn't quite define tickled at his stomach. "Come on, we're still young. One late night isn't going to ruin us." When Draco only furrowed his brows in response, Harry continued, "I'm starving. Are you hungry at all?"

As though on cue, a loud rumble answered Draco for him. A real smile slipped past the sharp exterior he had erected, and with a smile of his own, Harry led the way to the kitchen.

Something about moving into the kitchen, entering the brightness that wasn't in the living room, reset the atmosphere. They moved around each other, finding the essentials for some basic sandwiches, and talked about easier things. Harry enjoyed spinning his night to be more about the girls' apparent disinterest in Teddy rather than his own pitiful ability to socialize, something that he was surprised Draco agreed with, sharp edges nearly gone. Draco told Harry the few details he had actually cared to remember about the girls he had spent the better part of the night with, and it was with a strange satisfaction that Harry learned Draco hadn't particularly enjoyed their company. At least Harry hadn't been alone in the discomfort of it all.

When the sandwiches were gone and they had tossed the few dishes in the sink for the next day, Harry and Draco extinguished the kitchen lights and found themselves standing in the small space that intersected the kitchen doorway, the back of the couch, and the entrance to Draco's room. Draco yawned first.

"Well, night," Harry said, stifling his own yawn. "I'll check on Teddy before turning in."

"Thanks. Night."

"See you tomorrow, Draco."

"Of course you will, you prat; we live together."

Harry laughed, walking away toward Teddy's closed door.


	16. Chapter 16

**Note: Alright, so I've never done a note before, but with my riduclous absence, I feel it warranted this time. About a week after the last update I posted, our house was broken into while (thankfully) we were all out to dinner. Basically everything valued over 20 was taken and we've been in a weird struggle with insurance and paychecks and trying to come back from that. But this past paycheck, I replaced my husband's beloved PS4 and he replaced my treasured laptop (although, admittedly, we spoiled the other and purchased updated versions hahah) after weeks of focusing more on the insurance claims, furniture, the kids' toys, etc. So I can write again! This chapter is basically my "I'm back but really out of touch with this fic but I really want to continue it because I have the whole thing mapped I just need to write it but the long break I took from writing made it a little rough but here you go!" chapter. Hopefully the next chapter will be better. I'm going to have to re-read and re-fall for this fic!**

* * *

"HaweeHaweeHaweeyouishomecanwecanwecanwecanwegotodapawk?"

Barely stable from Apparating home, Harry eyed his godson. The little boy was bouncing around him with ritualistic enthusiasm, eyes alight with joy that Harry could rarely say no to. He smiled and crouched down.

"I've already told him no," Draco said from the kitchen. "He's still getting over being sick and I won't have that nonsense circulating this place again if I can help it."

Face crumbling in utter defeat, Teddy stopped bouncing just as he came face-to-face with Harry, who grimaced sympathetically.

"Tough luck, bud," he said, tousling Teddy's hair as it seemed to deflate. "But Draco's right. You were a big boogery mess for almost three weeks. We want to make sure it's all gone before you go wear yourself out again. Plus, it's cold."

"Cold is good!"

"Not for getting over being sick."

Teddy stuck his lip out and muttered, "Yes is."

"No, because your body is working to keep you warm instead of working to keep you well when you're cold." Harry stood up and offered his hand to Teddy. "Now come on, it's only for another couple days. Plus, I'm officially off work for two whole weeks! Won't that be nice?"

"No."

He sighed at the petulance. "Alright, Teddy. I'm going to go see Draco. Try to cheer up, okay?"

"No!"

Leaving a grumbling Teddy behind him, Harry entered the kitchen to find Draco rubbing his eyes. "I don't know how much more of the attitude I can take."

"Then let him out of the house," Harry said as he dropped his bag on the table. "He's only acting like a brat because he wants to run. Besides, won't the fresh air be good for him?"

"Probably. Why bother backing me up a moment ago, then?" Draco asked tiredly.

Harry shrugged. "Call it parental solidarity. What's this?" A letter was opened on the table, addressed to the three of them, something Harry hadn't seen yet. He lifted it to read, feeling Draco turn toward him.

"It had all of our names on the envelope," Draco said.

"Yeah, it's from Mrs. Weasley about Christmas," Harry said distractedly, still reading. "Asking about times and what size sweater Teddy wears. She only has three days left, must be stretched thin this year...is there an inkwell in here?"

Draco set one on the table, and Harry began to scribble a reply on the back of the parchment.

"I'm surprised you're not more annoyed that I opened your mail."

"It doesn't really matter who opened it?"

"I know I don't appreciate others opening my personal letters."

Harry straightened then, officially confused. "Draco, it was addressed to all of us. Did you read it? It was obviously meant for you, too."

Pale eyes bore into Harry as Draco simply stared, face uncertain.

Harry flipped the letter and pointed. "Mrs. Weasley specifically invited you."

"I beg your pardon?"

Snorting at Draco's disproportionate shock, Harry returned to the parchment with a roll of his eyes. "Yes, Draco. Stop living in the past and glorifying your 'evil ways.' All you basically did was call everyone names and become Hogwarts' most legendary tattle tail. The worst thing you did was only barely figure out how to repair a Vanishing Cabinet." Only silence answered him, but as Harry rolled up his reply and pocketed it, he caught the pleased furrow of Draco's brow. Harry grinned. "I'm going to send this. Want me to take Teddy and give you a bit of a break?"

Draco scoffed. "The owlery is barely thirty seconds away. Not much of a break. Plus, it'll just make him want to go outside more than he already does."

"Fine, I'll leave the monster here."

"Oh, Merlin, no. Take him!"

As expected, the brief outing to the community owlery that their flat building provided only made Teddy all the more unbearable. He screamed when Harry led them home, threw his dinner across the kitchen, and whined incessantly while they picked up the flat before bathtime. Harry vowed to take the toddler to the park from sunup to sundown the following day, Draco's precautions be damned. But as Harry all but threw Teddy into a bubbly bath, the little boy's pent-up-energy-turned-rage seemed to dissolve in an instant. Squeals echoed in the tiny space, and despite the general atmosphere of the afternoon, Harry found himself smiling along as Teddy splashed half the water onto the floor.

"Looks like you're feeling better, little one." Draco's voice was soft against the onslaught of toddler chaos.

Harry glanced over his shoulder, quirking a brow. "No snide comment about the mess? Are you well? Ought I call a healer?"

Draco shook his head minutely as he leaned up against the doorframe, expression serious. "I don't think I should join you and Teddy at the Weasley's for Christmas."

"What? Why? Because you called Ron a weasel when you were eleven? To be honest, it wasn't even clever."

Draco pursed his lips. "Look, you can make light of who and what I was all you want but the fact is that I was on the wrong side of the war and committed terrible crimes, did horrible things. It...it just doesn't make any sort of sense for me to try fraternizing so...so intimately with those that I tried to oppress for half my life."

"I'm not trying to make light of what all you did," Harry sighed as he poured a cup of water over Teddy's head, rinsing some of the bubbles from his face. "I just think it's high time you moved on and let yourself get in with a good crowd for once."

"Somehow I don't think the ragtag Weasley bunch will allow the likes of me-"

"The Weasleys might be different than what you're used to," Harry snapped, "but they're the closest thing to a family I've ever had, and they're reaching out to you, too." He scrubbed a dollop of shampoo into Teddy's hair.

"I don't need some sort of pity-acceptance, either."

"It's not," Harry groaned. "They're not like that. They're not going to walk on eggshells around you to make things work; they're offering you an actual place, at least for the day. We don't always get along, but the support is unconditional and genuine. It'd do you some good to be around that rather than being on your own all the time."

"I think I've done alright."

"Ugh, you're worse than Teddy." Rinsing the soap from Teddy's hair, Harry began scrubbing down his body. "Percy was on the wrong side, too, for a time. He was welcomed back and forgiven."

"That's different. He was family, blood."

"Family's not just about blood." Harry dumped several cups of water over Teddy, watching as the suds disappeared into the bath. Then he stood and grabbed a towel from the cabinet as he looked Draco in the eye. "I mean, fuck, you could call the three of us a family."

A very thick silence followed. Harry fought the urge to look away first, not wanting to appear any more uncomfortable than he definitely just made himself. Draco's eyes gave nothing away. Somehow, that was worse than if he had openly sneered.

"Dwaco, get me?"

The tension broke in half at Teddy's voice. Blinking, Draco seemed to shake himself as he tore his gaze from Harry. "Of course, little one," he said.

The fabric of the towel slid from Harry's fingertips as Draco took over, filling the space between Harry and the bathtub in an unnatural way. Harry took two steps towards the door, making to bolt, but hesitated at the last second.

"Just come and don't overthink it," Harry urged.

"Harry…"

"Teddy, won't it be nice if Draco comes with us to the Weasley's for Christmas?" Harry asked pointedly.

Teddy beamed, eyes bright. "Weally? Yes, yes, yes!"

With a scowl that didn't quite meet his eyes, Draco groaned. "That's low, even for you."

"You're welcome."

"Shut up."

* * *

What had possessed Draco to accept such a ludicrous invitation? It was barely nine o'clock on Christmas morning and Draco was about to head to the Weasley's home of all places.

Teddy, ever the early-riser, had positively shrieked from his bedroom doorway just after sunrise. All but panic-stricken from the wake up call, Draco and Harry had both nearly collapsed in exasperation when they had realized Teddy was only noticing the Christmas tree and presents. After forcing Teddy to use the restroom while Harry brewed a quick pot of much-needed coffee, Draco found the morning far more enjoyable. He and Harry had awkwardly stumbled through an exchange of gifts that Teddy had actually picked out for the other, but once that hiccup was shoved to the side, they were all able to simply bask in Teddy's excitement and wonder of the holiday.

But all the peace from the warm glow of the Christmas tree and a cup of strong coffee, the joy of watching Teddy's eyes sparkle as he unwrapped a toy broomstick and promptly upended the armchair with Harry in it, the safe routine of cereal breakfasts and dishes and guiding Teddy through dressing himself...fucking Harry had to ruin it all.

Draco and Harry had been clearing up the explosion of the living room when Harry glanced at the clock and said, "We ought to head to the Weasley's soon. I told them we'd be around close to ten."

What had Draco been thinking?

But much as he would have preferred to remain at the flat, Draco's pride was unwilling to allow him any further attempts to back out from their agreement. And so, alongside Harry and Teddy, Draco donned his cloak and stepped into the Apparation void toward the Burrow.

The entire place jarred Draco the moment they arrived. It wasn't even about the muddiness of the snow around the poorly constructed home or the overpacked shed seemingly tossed to the side of the yard; it was the fact that it was the Weasley's home, the biggest blood traitors of wizarding kind, his father's deepest enemies, a group of people that loved with more than they had and fought for principles and not political gain. They were everything the Malfoys were not. They had every reason to despise Draco and all he was, down to his very core. And yet he had been invited.

Harry's shoulder gently nudged Draco, breaking him from the torrential swirl of anxiety that had been forming.

"Everything's going to be fine, you know."

Discreetly letting out a small breath, Draco steeled his face to be calm, impassive, in control. "Like I don't know that. Stop being such a witch and let's get this over with," he drawled.

Harry rolled his eyes and led the way to the front door. Draco's unease increased with each step, the crunching of the freshly fallen snow only amplifying the sensation of being on display. Without so much as a backward glance, Harry opened the door.

"Oh, Harry!"

Mrs. Weasley's voice set of an eruption of 'Happy Christmas!' calls that would have echoed in the roomy kitchen had it not been for the sheer amount of…_stuff_ that filled the space top to bottom. Children's art work, framed photos, homey decorations, recipe cards-

Draco couldn't have taken it all in at once even if he'd have liked to, but his initial scan was interrupted as Harry and Teddy seemed to disappear and Draco was wrapped up in a suffocating embrace.

Mrs. Weasley pulled back, round face grinning. "And a Happy Christmas to you, too, deary."

Her arms were so firm and gentle and loving and motherly. Draco's throat constricted, but he managed a tight, "And to you, as well."

Mrs. Weasley beamed. "We're all so glad you could come, aren't we?"

Draco looked as Mrs. Weasley's sharp eyes aimed at the table, where Ginny Weasley, one of the older brothers that Draco didn't know by name, and the French Triwizard Champion all sat together. Their faces were collectively stony.

"Malfoy," Ginny said, voice low and without emotion. Her brother nodded once, curt. The French woman stood and strode from the room.

Mrs. Weasley made a soft tutting noise. "Now that girl-"

"It's really no mind," Draco said quickly, forcing his voice not to drift to stiffness. "Thank you for having me."

"Well of course, dear."

"Come on," Harry said, appearing at Draco's side. Though his tone was light, Harry's eyes betrayed frustration. "Let's find everyone else. Teddy's already taken off for the living room."

Draco tried to swallow as he followed, head determinedly held high and eyes aimed straight at the back of Harry's head. His throat was still tight, though. It seemed his lungs weren't quite ready to inflate correctly, either. What possessed him to drag himself through torture such as this?

The Weasley living room was just as busy as the kitchen, walls plastered with familial love and floor covered with mismatched furniture sagging from decades of use. Fire danced in the fireplace beside a thick, live pine tree decorated as though a child had vomited up all the world's Christmas spirit directly to its branches.

Cozy. Homey. Welcoming.

Draco's palms began to sweat as he took in those crowding the space: the Weasley patriarch, Percy and a thin but plainly pretty girl that held his hand, George Weasley and the Gryffindor Chaser that had been Captain their fifth year, _the_ Weasley and Granger, and-

Teddy slammed into Harry's legs then, nearly causing Draco to walk into them both. "I wuv you."

Harry ruffled the boy's hair. "I love you, too."

"Oi!" Weasley called out, catching sight of them. "Happy Christmas, you lazing gits! About time you all showed up!"

"'Lazing?' We've been up since dawn because of Teddy!" Harry laughed.

"Like I said, lazy." Wealsey drew Harry in for a quick hug, then raised his brows at Draco as Harry shifted over to Granger. "Brave, aren't you?"

Instinctively, Draco's jaw locked.

But Weasley snorted a second later, clapping Draco on the shoulder with a grin. "Come on, let's break out the Firewhiskey. That'll loosen folks up."

After a surprisingly genuine round of greetings from the Weasleys in the living room, Draco was indeed dragged back to the kitchen by Weasley to find an open bottle of alcohol, much to Mrs. Weasley's furious alarm ("It's not even ten in the morning!"). Aside from the icy looks shot his way by Ginny, Charlie, and the eldest brother's wife, Fleur, the morning passed by Draco in an unexpectedly...pleasant fashion. Watching the family both dote on Teddy and reprimand him as though he were their own took a great deal of stress off of both Draco and Harry, allowing them to enjoy the company of the family.

Although Draco admittedly felt more comfortable in the whole Weasley mix than he ever dreamed possible, he found himself mostly sticking close to Teddy or Harry as a conversation buffer. Not that Draco hid from anything. It was simply easier to negotiate a familial holiday amidst a family that was not one's own by sticking to what was familiar.

But as lunchtime came and went, Draco could feel the atmosphere shift ever, ever so slightly. Fleur remained in the room with Draco, although she didn't speak to or look at him. Ginny's cold stare thawed somewhat over the kitchen table. Charlie actually laughed when Draco made a friendly jab at Weasley's expense. Eventually, Draco's lungs even found the capacity to operate correctly again.

A lifetime later, a clock chimed somewhere in the house, announcing the two o'clock hour. Harry's hand fell to Draco's shoulder, as warm as his eyes when Draco turned to look. His skin buzzed at the contact.

"What?"

Harry yawned, hand still in place as he squeezed. "About ready to head home?"

"Abso-" Draco caught his yawn. "Absolutely."

It took forever.

Between the fact that there were probably a thousand Weasleys, all of whom wanted to hug each of the three of them, along with how at least half of them somehow started brand new conversations as though that was how one said farewell, Draco was fairly certain a solid hour passed before he, Teddy, and Harry were actually out the door and able to Disapparate.

The flat felt cold compared to the Burrow.

Draco set Teddy down. "Merlin, that was an event."

Dropping the gifts they had been given onto the armchair, Harry frowned at him. "What? The…event? Was an event?"

"No, the leaving."

"Oh, yeah," Harry chuckled. "It's always like that."

"That was the most exhausting _hour_ of goodbyes I have ever endured."

"Broom!"

With a surge of energy that Draco only partially envied, Teddy rediscovered his toy broomstick. It took a matter of heartbeats before the boy was barreling through the flat, toes skimming the carpets. One of the lamps toppled to the ground. But, be it the fatigue wearing down his ability to care or the peace of returning to his own territory and the safety of the familiar, Draco could only laugh as he collapsed onto the couch. Harry did the same just a couple feet from him.

"That's kind of the coolest toy I've ever seen," he said.

"What, the broomstick? Harry, that's...it's literally listed as a 'classic toy.' It's been around forever."

"Doesn't stop it from being awesome."

"You only think that because you grew up under a staircase."

"You're just jealous because your father probably wouldn't let you have one."

Without any warning, Draco burst out laughing. Deep in his gut, straining his cheeks, laughing. He could feel Harry's bewildered stare but didn't really care in the moment.

"Merlin," Draco wheezed. "He really was the world's most predictable piece of shit, wasn't he?"

"Er…"

"Don't look so uncomfortable, my word," Draco said, smacking Harry in the chest with the tips of his fingers. "You were right on the mark. My father never would have allowed such a contraption in his precious Manor for fear I'd break something valuable. It didn't matter that he could fix a broken vase, it was the principle of it."

"Dwaco! Dwaco look!"

Teddy zoomed through the living room and crashed into the wall. He giggled uncontrollably from the floor.

Harry gestured as Teddy hopped up and mounted the broomstick again. "Good thing we don't worry about such pretentious things as principles, hm?"

Draco nodded. "At least not over something as stupid as a bloody vase that no one ever used."

Teddy was asleep before seven that evening. His eyes kept closing as he poorly aimed a few fish sticks at his mouth during dinner and barely survived a bath before succumbing to his post-Christmas coma in Harry's arms wearing only his underwear.

"He'll be up at fucking five in the morning wanting eggs," Harry muttered when he joined Draco in the kitchen after lying Teddy in bed.

"Well, then you ought to get some sleep. I'm opening the shop tomorrow, so I'm claiming those morning hours for sleep." Draco set his quill down, giving the last of his letter a gentle blow before rolling it.

"Who's the novel for?"

"Ainsley."

Harry nodded as he poured himself a glass of water. "So that post office box I suggested is worth it to have real friends, then?" he asked cheekily.

"Get your head out of your arse."

"I think you should quit your job."

Draco literally froze at Harry's words, absolutely certain he misheard. A tense moment passed.

Grimacing, Harry broke the silence after a beat. "That-damn, that came out wrong."

Sealing his letter, Draco scoffed. "You've got that right." The nerve. "I don't know what this is, some fucked up sense of pity, your Chosen One savior complex, or-"

"No, no, no!" Harry's hands flew up in surrender. "No, nothing like that! I just- look, you've been putting in a million hours at the apothecary because of the Ministry thing along with your psychotherapy sessions-"

Draco ground his teeth at the reminder.

"-but both of those requirements are completed, right? I mean, you told me you didn't have to go back to the therapy sessions anymore last week, and it just makes sense that the work part of that deal would be the same length of time-"

"Harry-"

"I'm just trying to say that if you stopped working, you'd have more time to spend with Teddy and that Teddy would probably like- well, to be honest, he'd probably benefit from seeing us operate more like...like a normal family, not just you and me switching off work shifts-"

"Harry!" Draco snapped. Anger wasn't quite the right emotion, but frustration wouldn't be inaccurate. Thankfully, Harry finally shut his damn mouth, putting an end to the wild babbling that Draco wasn't used to dealing with outside of Teddy. He rubbed his temples, exhaling. "Look, I get that things just work out for you and all, but the reality is that financially-"

"I thought about that," Harry interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah, look." And with the flair of an overeager child, Harry hurried over to the table, rummaged in his bag for a moment, and thrust a piece of parchment into Draco's hands.

It was their budget, numbers identical to the ones Draco had written on his own document in the living room. The income was replaced with what Draco assumed to be Harry's, an unreasonably large number for a Ministry intern position.

Harry cleared his throat. "With what I make a month, we're more than taken care of. There'll be less spending money since we won't have two incomes, but we never really spent anything anyway."

Draco frowned, still studying the parchment, both impressed and depressed by the numbers. It could work.

Damn, of _course_ it could work. Only for Harry fucking Potter and his throne of good deeds.

"You...you don't have to answer right now," Harry said quietly. "Take time to think about it. I'm really not trying to damage your ego or anything here, I just…I just think that it'd be good for everyone, you and Teddy especially. Teddy would get to see more of you, and you could take a damn breather more than once a year."

Heaving a sigh, Draco finally looked up from the document.

"Also, I…" Harry's eyes didn't leave Draco's. "I want to make up for the six months you spent paying for everything when I should've been the one doing it. I'm...I'm sorry for that."

Whatever agitation over the whole ordeal that had been clutching at Draco suddenly released. A soft laugh came before he could stop it. He handed the parchment back to Harry, who took it with a downward turn of his mouth.

Draco turned away then, suddenly very ready for bed. "I'll think about it."

"You deserve it, you know."

And against his better judgment, Draco glanced back from the doorway. Grey met green, and Draco was a bit startled to see a tenacious sort of hope lurking in Harry's eyes.

Of course Draco couldn't do this.

He blinked first.

But…maybe he could.


	17. Chapter 17

Although the suggestion had been his, Harry couldn't stop his worry that Draco actually quitting his job would create some arbitrary imbalance between them. Draco's pride in his gold had known few bounds in the past, and while Harry was more or less putting that image of Draco behind him, that particular trait was harder to imagine being completely stamped out. But it was nearing a month after Draco had worked his final shift at the apothecary and little had changed; Harry still left for the Ministry before Draco or Teddy woke each morning, Draco still cared for Teddy during the day, Harry still fought Teddy over food, Draco still thought the after-dinner cleanup counted as a break while Harry entertained Teddy, Harry still handled bathtime and stories, Draco still tucked Teddy into his bed for the night. What really surprised Harry, however, was that even after a month of Draco not working, they two were still getting on quite well.

Most of the time.

"It was probably a single sock or something," Harry was groaning, barely home five minutes.

Draco scoffed. "'A single sock.' You've no idea the mess you leave behind every morning, do you?"

"You've got to be kidding me. You have such a skewed idea of what a mess is, Draco."

"You're entirely missing the point. I didn't agree to stay home to be your housemaid."

"It wasn't a mess!" Harry snapped. "You could've just left whatever it was there and had me pick it up after work."

"It's hardly difficult to simply pick up after yourself without being told like a child."

"Fuck, quit nagging."

The furious glare Draco shot Harry nearly set them both on fire. "I-"

"Hawee?" Teddy skipped into the living room, little face serious. "Dwaco, I'm hungwy. Fish sticks?"

Draco shook his head. "We're too close to dinner, little one. We'll be eating in the next hour and a half. Just try to wait, alright?"

Teddy stuck out his bottom lip. Harry's stomach rumbled loudly. The Aurors-in-training ate lunch right around noon, but with their physical training in the afternoon, Harry was always ravenous when he made it home. He shuffled into the kitchen, Teddy at his heels as he dropped his bag on the counter and glanced at the refrigerator.

"Did you two not hear me?" Draco said from the doorway. "Am I speaking Troll over here? You're going to ruin your appetite."

Peeking into the cabinets, Harry said, "No I won't, I'm too hungry."

"Yeah, too hungwy, Dwaco."

Harry cringed before he even caught sight of Draco's scowl. With a wistful glance at the many snacking options before him, Harry shut the cabinet door and nudged Teddy with his knee. "Sorry, bud, but eating even a little snack now _will_ ruin your appetite."

"No, won't."

"How about I not have a snack, either, so we both are hungry enough to eat a good dinner?"

Biting his lip in thought, Teddy frowned up at Harry for several long seconds before finally nodding solemnly. He walked rather purposefully from the kitchen, and as Draco smirked at the sight passing by him, Harry made a mad grab for a handful of crisps. Mouth full to bursting, Harry nearly choked when Draco smacked him on the head.

But Harry's grin was mirrored on Draco's face.

"So, aside from the non-existent mess I left this morning," Harry began once he swallowed, "how was the day?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, irritation obviously not quite dissolved. But his voice was even as he replied, "Same as usual, I suppose. I will say, though, Teddy's almost mastered putting on his own shoes now."

"Yeah? That'll be cool, not having to squat down all the time."

"His socks are still always upside down when he puts them on, though. We have to fix that regardless."

"What? Why? If he doesn't care-"

"Of course he doesn't care, he's two years old-"

"He's almost three."

"Harry," Draco said, suddenly sounding tired. "It is our job to teach him the right way to accomplish these sorts of tasks."

"They're socks. He'll learn eventually."

"You are so fucking lazy."

"You look me in the eye and tell me every single parent out there makes sure their kid's socks are perfectly on their feet every time. What about when there's more than one kid to worry over? You think your new friends fix their kids' socks when they're in a hurry and they're at least on?"

Draco ran a hand over his face. "It doesn't matter what Harvey and his wife do. I'm talking about us, you idiot."

The fight left Harry in a flash, a relieving sensation in his veins as he changed the subject. "Speaking of, you've been to see the muggles a few times now, right? Even met the brother's family and such. So when do Teddy and I get to meet them, hm?"

It had meant to be a distraction from Draco being annoyed with him. Harry had mostly been joking, never having thought that Draco owed him or would care to introduce the muggles to him in particular. But as Harry's question filled the air between them, Draco's face fell slightly, eyes tightening around the corners like they always did when something was privately weighing on him.

He sighed quietly. "To be honest, I had thought about it. It seems strange to have been to each of their homes and met Harvey's family and to not offer the same exchange in return. However..."

"However...?" Harry prompted after a moment.

"However, I've never tried to befriend muggles. I've never even considered it. I haven't the slightest clue as to how to go about having them in a magical home."

"Oh." Quite frankly, the logistics of such a task were a bit beyond Harry as well. He hadn't thought of magic-muggle friendships and how they worked without breaking the Statue of Secrecy. "Well, I'm not really sure, either. But plenty of witches and wizards have befriended muggles in the past and do okay, yeah? I'm sure as long as we prepare Teddy and maybe hide away a few things in the flat there shouldn't be any issue."

"I'm not sure...Teddy's not even three. He's likely to speak too freely or use magic without meaning to in front of them. It wouldn't really be his fault but he'll get us all into some fiasco with the Ministry." Draco scoffed, more a huff halfway between amused and bitter. "Well, he'll get me in trouble, at least."

"The Ministry's much fairer these days, you know." Harry grinned a bit sheepishly at the look Draco gave him. "In any case, you'd be amazed at how easily muggles write off magic as ordinary things. They're not looking for magic, so they always assume other things when they see it. And if Teddy gets to talking about magic, he is only two. We could play it off as kid nonsense."

The uncertainty that remained in Draco's eyes bore into Harry, stirring a kind of urgency he didn't fully understand.

Draco shook his head with a small depreciating smile. "I don't know-"

"Really," Harry encouraged. "Come on, it can't be that difficult, otherwise so many wouldn't do it. And won't it be nice to have someone else besides the Care Seekers over to judge us?"

At that, Draco laughed. Although short lived in volume, the laugh lingered at Draco's eyes and mouth, easing the tension that had been there.

"Well, unfortunate as it may be," Draco replied, "perhaps you are right for once. Maybe we ought to give it a try."

Victory. "Excellent."

x-x-x

A small part of Harry knew that he was dreaming. There was no one in the waking world that made his entire body blaze with such _sensation_. Someone faceless, formless, everything-less was pressing against him, invisible hands sliding across his bare chest, trailing demandingly down his sides and gripping at his thighs. The touch burned as the caresses persisted, strong arms coming to wrap around his waist, enveloping Harry in a kind of embrace that both added to his desire and made his heart ache with the _tenderness_ beneath the skin against his own. There was safety in the phantom; safety, affection, sexual chemistry. Hot lips were at his neck, and Harry moaned.

"Hawee!"

Something very solid slammed directly onto Harry's raging erection, jolting him awake as the moan he had been making out loud jerked into a sharp cry of pain. Frantically shifting, Harry found himself with a couchful of Teddy, both of them bleary-eyed and half-awake.

"Teddy," Harry hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Seep wif you."

"Draco's right; you ought to sleep in your own bed more often."

"Ni', ni', Hawee. Yuv you."

Harry sighed, drawing out his exhale to avoid grumbling in frustration. The clock read 3:46. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"

Teddy didn't answer.

"Teddy?"

The little boy turned away from Harry, snuggling deeper into the couch and taking half of the blanket with him. Harry rubbed his eyes aggressively until swirls of color clouded his vision in the dark.

"Love you, too, Teddy."

But Teddy was already asleep, breaths just barely audible in the silent living room. With only a couple hours left until he had to be up for work, Harry knew he ought to follow suit. And although his eyes were itching with interrupted rest, his heart was still pumping much too fast to relax enough to return to sleep. Especially with his cock being so painfully hard.

There was a certain horror, too, in having such a problem so near a small child, and it took Harry all of two minutes before the awkwardness of it all spurred him to climb out from under his covers. The flat was cold outside his blanket. It didn't make any difference. Sighing with frustration both exhausted and sexual, Harry made for the bathroom.

* * *

"What about this?"

"I think that'll be okay. It looks similar enough to a top that they probably won't think too much on it. This has to go, though."

Draco made a face. "The Sneakoscope can stay, but a newspaper can't?"

"Well, muggle adults don't really play with tops. They probably won't pick it up. But this thing," Harry said as he tossed the paper into the bin, "might spark their interest since it's not a newspaper they recognize. And the moving pictures are a dead giveaway."

"Makes sense..." Draco murmured, swallowing back some of his nerves over the evening ahead.

After Harry's mention of the idea the previous week, having Ainsley, Harvey, and his wife had seemed more and more possible each time Draco thought about it. After all, Harry was right in at least one aspect: witches and wizards had been befriending muggles for centuries. The desire wouldn't have persisted if it were something magical people were incapable of doing. But as he combed through the flat alongside Harry the hour before the muggles were due to arrive, Draco found himself growing increasingly uncertain. The emotion was far less severe than the anxieties he had felt in the years surrounding the climax of the war, but it was off-putting all the same in its unfamiliarity. Already Harry had commented on their kitchen lacking in contraptions usually covering the surfaces of their muggle counterparts, and although they had cast stilling charms on the few photos displayed about the flat, it was a bit defeating that something as innocent as the morning paper could be their undoing. Draco glanced at the bookshelves.

"Damn."

"Hm?"

"What are we to do with all of these?"

Harry came to Draco's side, regarding the books to which Draco had gestured. The books themselves were not odd at a glance. Their spines were dust-free and in tidy rows that filled the shelves in a rather satisfying fashion. His frown steepened.

"Every single title here is magic-related. What are we going to do, cast muggle-proofing spells on everything and deal with the repercussions of that? Go spell-free and just empty the damn shelves? This is ridiculous."

"You're so dramatic," Harry said with a roll of his eyes. "Who goes through someone's bookshelves on a first visit? In any case, you'd be surprised, I think. A good chunk of these could pass as muggle in some form, and the rest they'll likely just assume are fiction."

"Most of these _are_ fiction."

"Oh, really?"

"You've never once looked at any of them?"

"Well-"

"Did you truly think these were all textbooks or something?"

"Er...no?"

Despite the tension in his chest, Draco snorted. "No, Harry, I don't just read textbooks for fun. Merlin, surely you don't believe me as drab as Granger?"

"Maybe I was assuming you were as brilliant. My mistake."

A leak of heat crept up Draco's neck, seeping into his ears uncomfortably as he furrowed his brows at Harry's teasing. The sneer had been lighthearted, but Draco's body was tensed, skin hot, lips tight as he fought a grin of all things. He turned abruptly away from green eyes that bore into his soul and made his way to Teddy's room.

He froze in the doorway.

It had never occurred to Draco just how magical Teddy's bedroom was. Although Draco and Harry had him pick up his toys every evening, Teddy managed to unload nearly every single one of his possessions onto the floor each day, giving quite the show for how nearly every little animal, every big-eyed figurine, every device moved on its own accord. The canvases and papers hanging on the walls, creations of Teddy's own making, shifted on the surfaces, colors rotating through the rainbow or various shades. There was a large banner over Teddy's bed of the Hogwarts school crest, and propped in the far corner was his toy broomstick that actually flew beneath Teddy's weight.

Draco and Harry both studied the room for several long moments before Harry finally drew his wand. He waved it gently, muttering under his breath.

"How strong did you make it?" Draco asked as Harry pocketed his wand. "I'd rather not have some bullshit Ministry fiasco because they claim some charm muddled their heads."

"If the muggles peek in, they'll just see what they expect to see. It's not even in the realm of true mind-alteration like a lot of the stuff that the Ministry keeps an eye on. I do think, however..." Harry went and grabbed the toy broomstick. "I think we ought to just put this thing up somewhere. I'd bet Teddy would ride it just to show off before we even sat down to eat."

"Noooooo," Teddy whined, suddenly appearing at Harry's feet as they all met in the living room. "_My_ broom!"

"Relax, Teddy, I'm not taking it forever. We just-"

"_My_ broom!"

"Teddy-"

"No!"

"Teddy," Draco interrupted, grabbing the boy's hand and crouching to his level. Teddy squirmed as Harry disappeared into the kitchen. "We are not taking your broom. We are simply putting it away for safe-keeping while we have our guests over tonight."

Teddy blinked, distracted. "Guess?"

"Yes, remember? I told you earlier that my friends Ainsley, Harvey, and Georgianna are coming for dinner."

"But-but-but-but I want broom. My broom."

"It is your broom. We just need to put it away while the muggles are over."

"You also need to be careful not to change your appearance while they're here," Harry commented, returning.

Teddy tilted his head. "Muggle?"

"Yes," Draco replied. "It means they can't use magic and don't know about it. Witches and wizards are not allowed to show muggles magic. It's why we are putting your broomstick away and asking you not to change your appearance."

"No magic?"

"I'm afraid not, little one. But only for a little bit. It'll hardly be any different than when we walk to the market."

"But...why?"

Draco frowned, lips twisted as he bit the wet flesh of his cheek. How to answer? Draco supposed he could give Teddy a curt, 'Because that's the way things are,' as his own father would have done. It would more or less answer the question while also quickly shutting down any additional inquiries so that Draco and Harry could continue to prepare. Time was beginning to run short.

But as Lucius Malfoy's superioring sneer fogged his mind, Draco felt his anxiety over the upcoming evening pale beneath his personal irritation at his late father's parenting. Most of the old man's choices were directly tied to Draco's shortcomings.

No, Draco would not respond to his own charge in such a manner.

"Well," he began, thumb rubbing along the top of Teddy's hand in his. "To put it simply...a very long time ago, when magic wasn't hidden, muggles were jealous of magical people-"

"Jebbus?"

Harry chuckled. "_Jealous_. It means that they wanted to use magic like the witches and wizards and didn't like them because of it."

"Didn't yike them?"

"No," Draco said with a shake of his head. "And for it-" He cut himself off, not wanting to share with Teddy the horrid crimes muggles both attempted and succeeded against witches and wizards. What if it made him wary of muggles in a mocked opposite of Draco's own prejudices? Draco cleared his throat. "Well, because of it, the Ministry of Magic, the government, decided to keep magic a secret from muggles. It was easier. Safer."

"Muggles...not safer?"

"It's not that muggles aren't safe, but everyone is a little scared of what they don't understand. You know how big dogs make you a little scared?"

Teddy nodded.

"You don't see a lot of big dogs or know a lot about them, so you're frightened of what they might do. It's the same for muggles. They never see magic and don't know about it, so they might be frightened if they saw it while over here tonight."

Teddy's little eyes lit up then, blue irises alight with what Draco hoped was understanding. "Oh! Oh, otay, Dwaco! I hide magic, too!"

A deep relief washed over Draco as he released Teddy's hand and stood up. "Thank you, Teddy." He glanced at the clock. "They're due in about twenty minutes," he said to Harry.

"Then let's head downstairs."

Teddy shrieked. "Outside!"

The early February afternoon was frigid despite the thinning snow, warranting their cloaks and scarves against the breeze. Their flat complex was fairly secluded on the outskirts of London, centered in a large field that offered no muggle vehicle traffic. For it, Draco had given Ainsley the address of the all but rundown shopping strip to the east. He, Harry, and Teddy figured that meeting the muggles there and leading them the rest of the way would be the best course of action.

Looking at it objectively, however, the entire arrangement sounded incredibly shady on his part, Draco thought. The muggles, forthright and friendly from their initial meeting, had simply agreed with smiles. It would get them killed one day.

"Stop grimacing like that," Harry said as they neared the edge of the field, dingy shops in view. "You'd think you didn't want your own friends to come."

"They're too trusting. For all they know, I lured them here with nefarious intentions."

"Or they see right through your 'bad boy' facade."

Draco shot Harry a quick glare, choosing not to answer in favor of watching Teddy attempt a snow angel at his feet. It wasn't as if Harry was necessarily wrong; Draco was confident enough to say that he was entirely 'reformed' since his actions during the war. But ever since Christmas, Harry had been making more and more comments that attempted to minimize the horrors Draco had committed, made light of the dangerous character he had been, brushed over his independent choice to eagerly follow the Dark Lord and allow him to permanently mark him. Things certainly had changed, but Draco's past was no less appallingly dark. Harry's comments were somehow worse than the friendship that had sneaked up on them. At least the friendship had some sense to it; the comments felt patronizing at best.

After some entertaining Teddy in the snow, Draco heard a familiar voice in the distance.

"Draco?"

He turned, catching sight of Ainsley standing on the verge of the snowy field. Harvey and his wife, Georgianna, were a few steps behind her at the side of a large muggle vehicle, pulling on hats and scarves against the wind. Draco did his best to smile as he waved them over.

"Hey," Ainsley said as the trip drew closer. "Sorry we're a few minutes late. We weren't sure we, uhm...had the right address." Her eyes drifted around the large open space, cold wind stirring up the snow in the great expanse that separated the shopping strip from the complex.

Draco gestured toward the complex. "Strange, I know. But our buildings don't have any...any..." _Fuck_, what was the word?

"Car parks," Harry supplied, stepping into the group. He grinned at Draco, eyes so obviously trying to convey reassurance that Draco didn't need. Harry turned his smile to Ainsley. "The buildings are older, and it's one of the reasons for the good price. Most of the tenants just walk a lot at this point."

The muggles blinked. Georgianna looked particularly bewildered, and Draco instantly knew why. The complex was kilometers from where London's famous foot traffic became a reasonable means for transportation. Draco and Harry probably sounded insane.

Fortunately, Harry seemed to have the same realization. "Thank-" A barely-there hesitation. "-god for the public taxis, though. Otherwise, we'd probably just be hermits."

Ainsley laughed, genuine though short. It broke the tension, everyone smiling a little easier. Harvey stepped forward then, offering a hand out to Harry, who took it.

"You must be Harry."

"That'll be me. Harvey, right?"

"Yes, sir," Harvey confirmed, that bright smile Draco was more familiar with back in place as he motioned behind him. "And my wife, Georgianna."

"A pleasure," Harry said, shaking her hand as well.

Ainsley pressed forward. "I'm Ainsley. I've been looking forward to meeting the mysterious Harry."

Harry's brows shot up. "Mysterious?"

Oh Merlin, Draco thought. "Just because I don't prattle on about this idiot doesn't make him mysterious."

"Awh, Draco," Harry said, mock-offended. "Embarrassed by me, are you?"

"Terribly so."

"Oh my, is this handsome lad Teddy?" Harvey said then, eyes on the boy as he sprayed snow just beyond Draco and Harry.

It could have been far worse. Teddy managed a faint 'hello' for the muggles as he clung to Draco's cloak with one hand and Harry's with the other. The frozen breeze ushered them all back to the complex, much to Teddy's expected disappointment. His being reluctantly agreeable was quite unusual, though. Perhaps they ought to have company more often.

"Holy shit, Draco," Ainsley breathed the moment she was through the door, eyes wide. "Talk about a nice flat. And you guys said this place is cheap? Where do I sign up?"

Draco chuckled a bit uncertainly. "Well, I doubt you'd like the amount of walking we've had to do out here."

"Plus the taxi fees almost make up for the difference for a typical monthly," Harry added.

"Still, though," Georgianna said as she stepped deeper into the living room, "this is a beautiful place. And three-bedroom flats are not cheap, even this far from downtown."

Three bedrooms? Draco thought it a bit odd that Georgianna would assume as such; there were only two visible doors from where they all stood aside from the open kitchen entry. It seemed strangely pointed. Although Draco had only met the woman once before, she did not strike him as anything less than clever.

"Oh, it's just a two-bedroom," Harry said good-naturedly from the front door, helping Teddy remove his snow-soaked shoes. "Much more manageable as you can imagine."

There was no denying the narrowing of Georgianna's eyes then, however slight it may have been. It was aimed at Ainsley, Draco noticed, who almost looked to be suppressing a smirk. Suspicion felt familiar. The lack of fear or anger alongside it was not. He might not know what was being passed between the two women, but Draco felt certain that it was nothing of negative consequence. A strange sensation in his abdomen.

To avoid having to try and cook a hot meal without magic in the muggles' presence, Draco had prepared a cold tuna poke dish with a basic salad ahead of time. Teddy was quick to request a jelly sandwich, something Draco was absolutely not going to argue against with guests over for the first time. Draco, Harry, and Teddy settled into their usual chairs around the table, Transfigured to accommodate three additional chairs that mingled between them.

It wasn't what Draco would call perfect. No amount of muggle interaction for Draco could be without some level of awkwardness. But overall, Harvey droning on and on about work in some sort of taxing office, Harry maneuvering about and adjusting the specifics of his own work, Georgianna talking about her and Harvey's two small children, Ainsley babbling about her schoolwork, and Teddy sucking the jelly off his fingers as the meal drew to an end, the evening felt...organically pleasant. Nothing forced, nothing worrisome, nothing even necessarily memorable. Perhaps the entire event was what Healer Chase had been trying to convey in all those sessions, the forging of real friendships, ones that shared no commonality with his circles during the war.

Draco found himself smiling softly into his napkin as he finished eating.

"Hawee?"

Harry turned from Ainsley. "Yes?"

"Can I-Can I my broom?"

"Teddy, we told you before that we have to put it up for now."

"But wanna fly my broom."

Dammit. Draco held back a grimace as he made to smooth the misstep. "You can play that game tomorrow. It's too...loud for tonight."

Teddy looked puzzled. "Game?"

Harvey chuckled. "Has he a broom that he pretends to fly on?"

Teddy opened his mouth, but Harry leaned over to whisper in Teddy's ear. Draco nodded at Harvey. "Yes, and it's always quite...ah...involved. Wrecks the entire flat typically." It wasn't exactly a lie. "Teddy," he said, "why don't you go play in your room? We're all finished with dinner and I'll bet your toys are more interesting than we are."

Ainsley giggled as Teddy slithered from his chair and all but bolted from the kitchen. Georgianna fixed Draco with a sudden look of polite intent. His middle squirmed with vague apprehension.

"So, Draco, Harry," she began, eyes swinging between the two. "Tell us, how did you two meet?"

_Oh_.

They thought Draco and Harry were involved with one another. Romantically. Nothing could be further from the truth, yet Draco was at an immediate loss of how to correct the assumption without plaguing the relatively successful evening with even more awkwardness.

Harry, on the other hand, answered right away. "Oh, we went to the same boarding school in Scotland since we were eleven."

"Eleven?" Ainsley echoed. "That's amazing!"

"Don't be too impressed. We hated each other until just a few months ago."

Ainsley rolled her eyes. "Nice try. How would you two have ended up here with Teddy if that had been the case?"

"Well, Teddy is actually Draco's cousin. Er, second cousin. But I'm his appointed godfather. His parents were my...er..."

Merlin, things were due to overcomplicate quick. Draco cut in, "Teddy's parents were close with Harry's own parents."

"Fair enough," Harvey said, and it was with great relief that Draco realized that the subject was going to be tactfully dropped.

Ainsley bumped her shoulder against Draco's arm. "But, if you don't mind my prodding-"

Then again, perhaps not.

"-why the hell did the system award a child to two men that supposedly hated one another?"

The lilt in her voice, twitch of her brow, something in the way Ainsley asked finally brought sense to Harry. Draco saw understanding dawn in Harry's green eyes, his brows lifting as minor shock hit him. Draco's urge to grimace returned at the sheer density of the fool.

"Technically, Harry's the one with legal custody," Draco answered. Surprisingly, there was little irritation in him at the fact. But that was a tangle to unwind another time. "But the poor git was so lost on what to do with a child, and as Teddy knew me so well already, he was forced to ask for my assistance."

"That is absolutely not true," Harry interjected.

Laughter swept across the table. Teddy's little hands pulled at Draco then, redirecting his attention just as Georgianna said, "Well, regardless the circumstance, the whole situation has obviously brought you two together."

"Dwaco, wead book pease?"

Draco blinked dumbly at Teddy. "Uh-"

"Yes," Ainsley said. "It's really quite sweet."

"Dwaco?"

Harry cleared his throat unnecessarily. "Oh, er, uh...I mean, yeah, it's made us far more...well, we get each other a lot better than our days at Hog-at school, that's for sure."

"Dwaco, wead book _pease_?"

"It will be nice, though, once I'm done with my training at work and we can move, to have a better bed than the couch."

Even to Draco, or perhaps especially to Draco, Harry's response sounded rushed and cobbled together. It wasn't unlike the oaf to only just barely form cohesive sentences on the fly. But when Draco glanced over and saw that Harry was eyeing him, some sort of question lurking there, he decided to leave the mess alone as he forced his attention back to Teddy.

"Not just now, little one. I'll be needing to walk our guests back to their vehicle in a moment."

Coming over and singing Draco's side as he brushed by, Harry scooped Teddy into his arms hurriedly. "No worries, bud. I can read the book while Draco does that."

Once Teddy's squeal faded into the couch on which Harry had dropped, Harvey clapped Draco on the back. His grin was slightly apologetic. "You needn't walk us all the way back to the car. It's bloody freezing out there, and I'm sure you two will be wanting to get Teddy to bed."

"It's really no mind," Draco began.

Georgianna patted his other shoulder. "Please, we insist. What sort of guests would we be if we insisted you trek in the snow twice?"

"Really, Draco," Ainsley said as she pulled him into a brief hug. The top of her head bumped his chin when he clumsily tried to return the affection. As per his usual social standards as of late, Draco was certain he only managed to pat her back too stiffly. Her smile was as bright as ever when she pulled away, though.

"Stop stressing," she whispered. "Nosy George is about to leave."

A bit perplexed, Draco just nodded, accepting the muggles' stream of appreciation for the evening as they filed out the door. He locked it behind them, choosing not to immediately begin Teddy's usual bedtime routine and instead cleaning the kitchen. If asked, allowing Harry and Teddy time to read through the picture book they had started was a reasonable enough answer. But disquietingly clear images filled his head of warm companionship, of genuine affection, of someone truly loving him...the idea taunted him as he scrubbed bowls by hand, torn by emotions while he tried to ignore Harry reading about merfolk in the other room.


	18. Chapter 18

For all the looking down on muggle contraptions Draco and his family had done, the damn things were remarkably difficult to use. Not only was it incredibly awkward for the goblin at Gringotts to loudly ask if a Malfoy was truly exchanging his gold for muggle money, but it was significantly more so asking Harry to help him figure out a pay phone. The combination of sorting out all the coins, different in size and thickness but for some reason all the same fucking color, needing only so many to insert into a specific slot on the machine, then punching the numbered buttons in a certain order, all just to make sure one dialed the correct person.

What an exhausting way to communicate.

But, for all the trouble he had endured for it, Draco was finally at least adept in phoning Ainsley whenever he chose. Not that he called her too often. Succeeding in the task no more than twice, Draco only used the pay phone for when he unexpectedly found himself with time to spare and sought the muggle girl's company.

"Hello?" Ainsley's voice sounded very different emitting from the grimy receiver of the telephone, something that Draco physically recoiled from each time.

"Hello, it's Draco."

"Oh, I quite figured. It's not often I get calls from random pay phones." Her tone was teasing, a joke that Draco didn't understand, some muggle nonsense that he hated he wished he understood better.

"Yes, well. I find myself free of commitment this evening and thought I'd seek your company."

Unfamiliar laughter crackled over the line. "You're weird. Just ask to hang out, will you?"

"Ah...are you available to hang out tonight?"

"We'll work on it. But yes, please! Do come over! I've nowhere to be and have a project you can help me with!"

"What sort of project?"

"Do you remember where I live?"

"Yes?" Draco answered, confused. It must be a muggle thing, not being able to remember where places were after having been there once before.

"Excellent! When should I expect you?"

Draco could have slapped himself. That was why Ainsley asked if he remembered. Harry had to explain to Draco, rather embarrassingly, that muggles can't Apparate, meaning that they were required to recall multiple pathways to a single destination in some cases for _every place they went_. Everything about muggles was exhausting, but at least Draco was beginning to learn how to swim within the huge information pool of their methods.

Draco glanced at his watch, finding it to be two minutes before five. "Let's say...half an hour?"

"I'll see you then!"

The receiver clanked loudly when Draco set it into the pay phone's cradle. Of the entire telephone call experience, he disliked the conclusion the most. With letters, one signed their name in farewell. In person, there were nods, handshakes, waves, hugs. Over the artificial line of a telephone, there were but words. Awkward. And Draco had been raised to exceed social unpleasantries.

After aimlessly wandering the streets of London for his allotted half hour, Draco Apparated to Ainsley's flat. It was on the second floor of a French-esque complex, stacked almost haphazardly to achieve individuality. Lush vines covered the faded red brick, iron railings were twisted to resemble elegant design, pathways were cobblestone. Every flat's balcony was shaped differently, every door was a unique color. Yet, for all its chaos, the complex did not exude the cheapness for which Ainsley claimed it was known. Draco might have even thought it quaint.

Ainsley answered her door almost the instant he knocked. Her hair was wild even pulled back, eyes alight with energy as she greeted him.

"Draco! On time as ever!" She beamed at him, stepping aside to allow him past. Her shirt was rather large on her small frame, almost completely obscuring the frighteningly short shorts she wore. Draco made a slight berth around her. He froze as he heard the door shut behind him, however.

The flat was ransacked. Surely Ainsley had just been ruthlessly robbed, he thought, except that it seemed the culprits didn't steal anything, instead opting to simply tear everything the woman owned from its place and toss it all about the flat. Furniture was even moved from where Draco recalled it being the last time he had visited, cluttering the already small space exponentially.

"What...ah...what happened?" he asked when Ainsley came to his side.

She put her hands on her hips, beaming with excitement. "I'm rearranging!"

"Rearranging? Why?"

"Oh, I just like to mix it up every six months or so. And since I live all on my lonesome, I can!"

She tugged at the sleeve on Draco's jacket, borrowed from Harry as it wasn't quite cold enough to justify a wizard's cloak. The fabric was thin but warm, a muggle purchase that Harry said he kept around for outings with Weasley and Granger. After listening to Harry choke back a laugh at his formal blazer, Draco had snatched the garment from him on his way out the door. It smelled like detergent and chocolate, and after seeing the casual state of Ainsley's attire, Draco was reluctantly glad he had worn the blasted thing.

"Come on," Ainsley said, dragging Draco amid her scattered possessions. "You get to help!"

'Getting' to help a muggle rearrange her entire flat was not exactly what Draco had imagined when he sought company. Without magic, the entire ordeal was going to require a great deal of physical labor.

"So what are Harry and Teddy up to?" Ainsley asked. "Mind grabbing that end of the sofa?"

He did, finding it much lighter than it looked. "Oh, they're..." He paused, thinking. How to properly convey? He settled for simplicity. "They're at Harry's parents' for his father's birthday."

"That hesitation sounds like a lie, Draco."

"No, it's just...a bit more complicated than that."

"Oh?"

Draco nodded as they set down the sofa, blocking the front door. At least they had a large chunk of free space to work with in the living area for it. "Harry's biological parents were killed when he was a baby. His aunt and uncle took him in, but they were pretty horrible to him. He made a friend at school that has a large family that more or less took Harry in as their own. I don't believe he ever lived there, but the Weasleys are his family now."

"Oh. That's...well, that's awful about his parents and aunt and uncle. But it's good he found people that truly love him. Are-the Weasleys, you say? Are they the family that Teddy's parents were close to, then?"

Draco blinked, frowned. "Sorry?"

"Well, when we came over the other day-"

"Ainsley, that was a week ago."

"-you mentioned that Harry's parents were close to Teddy's? Did you mean the Weasleys?"

"No, actually." Draco's hands drew together subconsciously for him to fidget. "It's a little complicated."

When he didn't continue, Ainsley cleared her throat pointedly. "If you're not uncomfortable talking about it, we do have the time, and it's just us. No Nosey George this time."

Huffing a soft laugh, Draco nodded. "Well, the school we attended just made everything sort of intertwined. Being a boarding school and all, the student body naturally becomes rather close, for better or for worse."

"Was it, per chance, a school for..._complicated_ kids?"

"Oh, shut it."

Ainsley stuck out her tongue then, overemphasizing her youth despite being two years Draco's senior. With a flourish, she skipped into the space freed by her couch. "Help me reshelve these books while we talk, will you?"

"Into what shelf?" Draco asked, looking about the mess.

"Just behind those lamps there."

"...could we move the lamps?"

Ainsley blushed, mouth turning down sheepishly. "Oh, I suppose." They made quick work of it, and Draco was picking up the first of the piled paperbacks when Ainsley began speaking again. "So, you never answered, although I suppose I technically didn't directly ask, but...who were Teddy's parents?"

"Mm," Draco hummed. "Well, Harry's real father was close friends with Teddy's. Teddy's father also taught at our school one year, and he and Harry grew pretty close. I don't think Harry had met him before then if I'm remembering right. But a few years later, Teddy's father met my cousin, they married, and they had Teddy shortly after." And then joined in the front lines of a war with Draco on the opposing side and died, leaving Teddy an orphan. But that needn't be mentioned.

Ainsley, thank Merlin, apparently sensed that. She nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense, then, that Teddy's dad would name Harry his godfather. If they hadn't anyone else to ask, I bet being able to ask his late friend's son meant a lot to him." Sliding a few more books onto the shelf, Ainsley added, "I'm impressed, though, with you and Harry. Being so ready and willing to take in a kid like that at our age...I mean, I'm technically Darwin and Madeline's godmother, but there's a stipulation in Harvey and George's will that I be 25 or older to be granted guardianship. Otherwise, they'd go to our parents. But even at 25...I can't imagine becoming a mother overnight."

"I think it was harder on Harry, to be honest. The fool's hardly more than a child himself."

With an upward twist of her lips, Ainsley threw one of her hips out to bump Draco's thigh. "Bet you enjoy that youthful spunk, though, hm?"

"What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't take you to be such a prude," Ainsley said with a giggle.

"A prude? I fail to see-_oh_." Heat that had absolutely no reason to fill his neck and ears did. "Harry and I aren't..." One involuntary laugh escaped him. "We're just flatmates. We're barely even friends."

Ainsley's eyes burst open, threatening to drop the very organs from her skull. "Oh _no_, I am so-oh, thank god I didn't say something when we were over, how embarrassing that would've been-"

Something extremely distressing clawed its way up Draco's spine, spreading over his shoulder like a cold shudder. The acids of his stomach churned like an active volcano, and his heart had a single beat that was just high the line of too hard. Ainsley being so blatant in both his and Harry's presence would have been...unpleasant.

"-I know you two had mentioned that Harry was sleeping on the couch," Ainsley continued to ramble. "But the way he said it, like he was trying to find a way to make sure we knew you guys weren't sharing a room, I thought maybe you or him or both of you were trying to, I don't know, hide your relationship from us. I know not everyone is accepting of gay couples yet, but my family and I are." Ainsley slowed down then, visibly taking a breath and seeming to exhale her nervous energy. Though much shorter than Draco, she managed to pin him in place when she turned her gaze on him more directly, expression softening in the blink of an eye. "I know we haven't known each other long, Draco, but we're friends, right? You can be honest with me, but it's okay if it's at your pace and not mine."

Tenderness Draco wasn't familiar with was there, pulsating off of Ainsley and stabbing him sporadically as her gentle words crashed down like tidal waves over him. It wasn't as though Draco didn't know kindness; his mother and to some extent his father loved him in their own way, Teddy adored him, even Andromeda had shown Draco a certain amount of familial goodwill. But to be offered such openness from one not bound to him by blood Draco hadn't the experience. Snape had come close, especially in his first few years at Hogwarts; Pansy had attempted it. Even with Harry, with whom Draco was mature enough to admit he was closest, there wasn't such a rawness as was in Ainsley's eyes at that moment.

It wasn't that Draco disliked it. It was just horribly strange, how naked he felt.

"Look, there's nothing to hide from you there," he said finally. His voice was a bit stilted, but Draco managed a small smile. "While we may not hate each other anymore, I'm certainly not mad enough to actually try and date the Boy Who Lived."

Ainsley snorted. "Oh my goodness, _what_ did you call him?"

Perhaps being friends with muggles always included slip-ups, Draco thought with an internal groan. "It was just a stupid title he had bestowed upon him at our school. He claims to hate it, so it's as natural as breathing to use it as a weapon."

Her laughter was lighter than Draco felt. "Well, we all thought you two made a great couple, if it's any consolation."

"How would it be a consolation, considering that we aren't?"

"Maybe it'll give you the courage to pursue it." Ainsley winked.

"If I wanted to pursue such a foolish choice, I have the courage, believe me," Draco muttered, ears warm again. If only she knew the half of his history with bad decisions.

"Then I look forward to when you tell me you and Harry are finally knocking boots," Ainsley said cheekily.

Draco shuddered at the strange metaphor, swallowing with some difficulty as he forced away involuntary images. "Are these all where you'd like them?" he asked, gesturing to the books lining the newly filled shelves. "Why don't we get the rest of your flat figured out so we can relax, hm?"

It was hours later, after doing enough manual labor to render his muscles to jelly that would be quite sore the following day, that Draco was able to sit and enjoy a warm cup of tea with Ainsley. Time with her reminded Draco much of his time with school friends in many respects; she was eager to listen to what he had to say, eyes intent as she listened and usually sparkling with a bit of awe even at the most mundane of things. But most unlike Draco's former friends, Ainsley contributed to conversation with enthusiasm that pre-war Draco would have found obnoxiously ingratiating. She was as ready to open herself to Draco as she was to learn about him, an equal exchange that was rather satisfying if foreign.

But once the tea was gone, the antique cuckoo clock Ainsley proudly bore above her television set began chiming, singing, and cuckoo-ing. It was nearing midnight, and although Draco didn't need to wake for work anymore, Teddy was an early riser. Yawns peppering their short goodbyes, Ainsley closed her door on Draco, who then Apparated home.

Groaning filled the dark living room.

"Harry?"

More groaning. "You're back late."

"Is that why you sound like a dying merfolk?"

"No, that's because I feel like fucking garbage, thanks for asking."

Draco paused in removing the jacket he had borrowed, squinting at the lump on the couch. "Oh?"

"Yeah, Draco, 'oh,'" Harry shifted under his thick blanket. "So unless you care to watch me projectile vomit all over you-"

"Oh, fuck, have you been?" Draco asked, dropping the jacket on the floor in his haste to take several steps back.

More groans. "Not yet, but with how I'm feeling, I'm surprised I haven't."

"Did you eat something foul?"

"No."

"Maybe you brought a virus home." There wasn't an answer, but Draco could hear slightly ragged breathing in the darkness. "It doesn't matter. Do you...need anything?"

Harry grunted. "I don't know," he said, voice weaker and more tired suddenly. "Probably just need to sleep it off...er, thanks, though."

"Right."

"Right."

Why was there such an abrupt awkwardness? It coated the flat and pressed against Draco's chest with talons, urging him to cut the silence. But with what, he didn't know.

x-x-x

After watching Harry avoid solid food and refusing to stand except for one shower the entire weekend, Draco had been relieved that there had been no vomiting. Not that he was a sympathetic vomiter, or much of a sympathetic anything, but such acidic sick had to be the most tedious thing to try and contain. And so Draco had spent the entirety of that Monday feeling confident that Harry having been able to keep down the previous night's dinner as a sure sign that the dangers of any stomach illness was past.

Teddy emptied the entire contents of his stomach all over the table that evening. Draco had felt the defeat like a wave of sickness himself, sighing as he drew his wand to clear the mess. Harry had gagged and all but Disapparated from the smell of regurgitated chicken with a shirtless Teddy in tow.

It had been the beginning of Teddy's first real stomach bug. The boy spent two straight days throwing up his entire system after every attempt at food and in between for good measure, sobbing into the toilet bowl while Draco rubbed at his back and held a cool cloth to his head. Teddy's hair and eyes changed to match Harry in those moments, crying for his godfather as the toilet bowl only continued to fill. Once upon a time, Draco might have taken offense. But Draco had simply held Teddy tighter those times and assured him that Harry would be home soon.

It was torture, watching Teddy endure the virus without much aide. But both Teddy's pediatric healer and Mrs. Weasley had discouraged the use of potions in order to bolster the boy's immune system. Quite likely every child was given the same treatment. It didn't make the whole event any easier.

At the end of the second day, Teddy's stomach retained the handful of crackers that Harry somehow convinced him to eat, a real victory that was tainted by how awful Teddy still felt. By bathtime, though, he was asking for toast, and when he managed to keep that down as well, Harry had tentatively mused that perhaps the worst was over.

Draco, while agreeing, had dread deep in his belly that swirled distastefully alongside his own dinner. Lightheadedness had tickled at his consciousness all that afternoon, increasing to the point that Draco needed to pause while cleaning the kitchen and lean against the wall while Harry readied Teddy for bed. Draco had taken every precaution he could have; he had been washing his hands obsessively ever since first hearing of Harry's nausea, he had avoided all unnecessary contact with both victims, he ate bland foods himself in case he did catch the bug in hopes of staying ahead. But it seemed that the virus was stronger.

It was almost exactly midnight when Draco woke up shivering and covered in sweat, barely stomaching a single breath before retching all over the carpet beside his bed.

x-x-x

"Dwaco, I don' yike frow up," Teddy whined.

Heaving into the overused toilet bowl, Draco gritted, "I _know_, Teddy. That's why I keep telling you not to watch." More vomit splashed against the porcelain.

"Dwaco, I don'-"

"I _know_, Teddy!"

Teddy began to cry quietly, and when Draco was able to glance over his shoulder, the boy had Harry's hair and eyes again. "I don' yike frow up," he whimpered, tears glittering against emerald.

Guilt filtered through Draco's frustration and exhaustion. "I know."

Doing his best to clean up with limbs and a voice that quivered, Draco stumbled to his feet a moment later and found the doorway empty. He could hear Teddy digging through his toys in his bedroom, a true godsend that he wasn't requesting Draco's assistance or company for the first time all day. Draco dissolved into the armchair, closing his eyes as he took shuddering shallow breaths. He felt like a ghost. There wasn't hardly any substance to him anymore after spending much of the day hunched over the toilet. If a moderately strong breeze were to come through the flat, it could probably grab the whole of Draco and carry him away.

A loud crack announced Harry's arrival. "Oh, shit, what's happened?"

Draco opened his eyes, the lids impossibly heavy. Indeed, the flat was a bit of a wreck. Not that Draco kept the place spotless with a wild toddler, but the absolute explosion of toys, paper, quills, paints, snack wrappers, at least three different cups, and general odor of sick was a touch extreme. Draco found Harry already looking at him, those bright green eyes that Teddy had worn most of the day wide with concern.

"Whatever the fuck you brought home," Draco said, a rasp more than the growl he was going for, "is getting stronger each time it passes."

"Er, I don't think that's how viruses work."

"Don't they?" Draco heaved again, stomach clenching painfully. "Fuck." And with a lunge across the flat that was worthy of a medal in his condition, Draco returned to the bathroom. He resurfaced several minutes later, hands shaking as he clung to the wall. Teddy grinned toothily at him from the couch.

"Dwaco!" he squealed, hair and eyes back to normal. "Dwaco, Hawee home to-to-to-tomowow!"

"No he's not, Teddy," Draco grumbled as he sank back into the armchair. "It's only-" He gulp, heaved minutely. "It's only Thursday. We have one more day until he's home for the weekend."

"Actually, I just sent an owl that I won't be there tomorrow," Harry said.

"Can you even do that, fancy Auror training and all?"

"Each trainee is allowed up to five no-questions-asked sort of absences over the entire training. I've only used two, when I first got Teddy."

Weak as Draco's body was, it was still able to flush with uncertainty. What did he really care that Harry took a day off? But still, Draco found himself saying, "You didn't have to do that. Your-" He paused as nausea swelled, abated. "Your savior complex knows no bounds."

"Fuck, Draco , just look at you. It's not even saving you, it's just making sure you don't die while you're alone with Teddy."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Come on," Harry said, voice softer as Draco realized that his eyes had fallen shut at some point. He opened them just as Harry gently pulled him to his feet by the wrist. "Don't waste all your energy being a prat. Drink some water, go lie down, whatever. I doubt Teddy let you rest much today."

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Harry smiled at the pathetic attempt to sneer. "Go on."

And admittedly, it was nice to be able to crash into his bed and not move for a couple hours. The sleep wasn't terribly restful. Draco's half-dreams were outshined by the sounds of Harry and Teddy going about cleaning the flat, arguing over baked fish, the echoing splashes of bathtime, reading bedtime stories. Teddy climbed into Draco's bed at that point, forcing a tight hug and slobbering kiss onto him in the dark, whisper-shouting a goodnight as Draco sluggishly tried to return the gestures. Draco watched Harry as though through thick glass set a cup of water on his nightstand. And then they were gone, the silence in their wake making it hard for Draco to close his eyes. His stomach still churned sorely.

"You ought to shower," Harry said, seeming to pop into existence at Draco's bedside.

"I think I'd rather just die."

"It'll help you feel better. Go on."

With both hands encircling Draco's wrists, Harry hauled him to his feet. The room swirled dangerously around Draco, but hands grabbed at his shoulders to steady him.

"Alright?" Harry asked. The spinning slowed, and Draco nodded. "Alright. Go shower. And in the morning, I'll take Teddy and we'll get you some medicine once the shops open up."

That did sound heavenly. To only have the choking down of a potion stand between him and the absence of nausea...pushing off Harry's firm grip, Draco drifted his way to the bathroom once more.

* * *

Harry had only ever been in Draco's bedroom about three times. Each time had been with Draco and in the light of day. Suddenly alone in the space with no light peeking between the curtains, Harry fought against the sensation that something bad was about to happen. He heard the water switch on in the bathroom and began to move.

Household cleaning spells weren't quite his strong suit, mostly due to not caring to remember them. Having grown up doing all such tasks by hand, he had always found the spells that replaced the physical work almost pointless unless he was in a hurry. And while he likely had the time, Harry waved his wand around Draco's room, changing the sheets clumsily and having the disinfectant spray over the whole of the space. Satisfied, he left for the kitchen to find something Draco might be able to eat.

Hot soup in hand, Harry returned several minutes later to find Draco face down on his bed wearing only a pair of shorts.

"Uh...feeling any better?" Harry asked as he set the bowl on the bedside table.

"Marginally," Draco croaked. He cleared his throat and continued, voice stronger. "Thank you. For the sheets. But...I must ask...did you drop a bomb in here? I can _taste_ disinfectant."

"Oh, er," Harry chuckled sheepishly. "With how sick you and Teddy have been, more seemed better."

"Well, you're not technically wrong, I suppose." Infirm laughter quaked Draco's shoulders as he struggled into a sitting position.

The scars struck Harry like lightning.

Sixth year was so long ago, nearing on four years, but in that moment Harry was sixteen again, startled by finding a crying Draco Malfoy in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Sectumsempra had slashed through Draco everywhere. White marks just barely paler than the skin they blemished centered over Draco's sternum and branched across to his underarms and sides, down to his ribs and stomach.

"Must I eat this?" Draco's question came from a significant distance.

Harry blinked several times. "What-oh, er, yes. You've...you've been losing nutrients all day and need to replace them."

Draco looked up at Harry fully then, bemusement in his drawn brows. Following Harry's betraying gaze to his own chest, he sighed heavily. "It's fine." There was resignation there, but without bite.

"No it isn't. I could've killed you."

Draco huffed a single, humorless laugh. "I doubt it'd have been much of an issue."

Harry's throat constricted uncomfortably as he watched Draco begin slithering into his bed, determinedly not looking at him. "It would have," Harry insisted. "Been an issue. Mattered."

"Well, sure, you can say that now, now that the war is over and I'm not a Death Eater and we're friendly and have Teddy-"

"It would've mattered then, too," Harry interrupted firmly. "I...I hadn't known what that spell would do when I used it. I never...I never wanted _that_. It was awful, watching you bleed like that...even back then, I...I didn't want you to die."

An anxious sort of smirk lifted Draco's lips slightly, as though he was uncertain how to respond. With a valiant attempt at humor, he teased, "What sort of wizard uses a spell they know nothing about?"

"Apparently I do."

The miserable response brought in its wake a silence that only encouraged Harry's darkening resentment at himself and the replaying of the memory that bolstered it; Draco's face darting from hopeless despair to furious rage and then the horrified shock of what Harry had done to him, the slight tremor in Snape's hand as he worked his magic to prevent yet another student death in that bathroom, the stark shade of white Draco became in such a short amount of time, Harry's own rigid fear and pounding heart thankfully blocking out much of the whimpering he knew echoed off the stone walls. Harry forced out a breath through his nose and offered the bowl of soup to Draco, who took it.

"You really ought to eat."

"Harry-"

"I'm going to shower and clean a bit more. Need anything else?"

Letting his mouth fall closed on whatever he had tried to say, Draco just shook his head and Harry left, his skin crawling and head storming.


End file.
